‘More Required For P.S. Efficiency’

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29903, 17 August 1962, Page 12

‘More Required For P.S. Efficiency’

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, August 16.

The view that the present organisation of the Public Service was satisfactory from a staff point of view, but something more was required to bring about added efficiency and recognise talent, was expressed today by the Army secretary (Mr A, N. V. Dobbs).

Mr Dobbs was one of a panel of four senior public servants who' discussed before members of the Wellington branch of the Institute of Public Administration certain aspects of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the New Zealand State Services. The others were the Secretary of Justice, Dr. J. L. Robson (chairman), the Govern-

ment Statistician (Mr J. V. T. Baker), and the Secretary of Labour (Mr H. L. Bockett). Mr Bockett said he did not find very much wrong with the present system. The real criticism in the report of the Royal Commission was that the Public Service Commission had concerned itself mainly with staff and not efficiency. “This was true up to seven years ago, but in recent years the Public Service Commission had done much in the field of training, and, for that reason. I would favour a continuation of the present system," he said. Saying that he had not a great deal to criticise in the present system, Mr Baker urged that there should be more drive and leadership in the control of the service, and this had been indicated in the report of the Royal Commission.

The chairman said the panel had clearly indicated that they were agreed that on the staff side the public service commission had done much in recent years, but they also agreed that much more could be done in the way of efficiency. The panel was evenly divided on whether the proposed State Services Commission should be a one or three-man affair.