WORK OF PUBLIC SERVANTS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27038, 13 May 1953, Page 10

WORK OF PUBLIC SERVANTS

VALUE OF EFFICIENT Administration (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. May 12. Good administration was the handmaid of politics, said the Minister of Health (Mr J. R. Marshall) in opening today the flfth annual convention of the New Zealand Institute of Public Administration. It was frustrating for a Minister to find that many things that were desirable were not possible, either because of lack of finance, public opinion, or lack of resources, he said. “There are many things I think would be for the good of the country, but which public opinion won’t accept,’’ said.Mr Marshall. “But with good leadership, which must come at the political level, and good administration. which must come at your level, it is possible to do much more than with weak leadership and administration.’’ Mr Marshall said the Government was very much alive to the need for deep and constructive thinking in the economic field. Besides economic surveys in 1951 and 1952. carried out with the aid of public servants, the Government also had a sub-committee of the Cabinet dealing with economic Solicy. which had the aid of a strong epartmental committee and a strong working party within departments. “I believe we are now approaching a period of greater stability unless sdme of the events which occurred in the last few years recur,” said Mr Marshall. “We are approaching also an era of * very considerable economic problems, which lends itself to Worth-