DEPT. TOLD TO CUT COSTS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31346, 17 April 1967, Page 11

DEPT. TOLD TO CUT COSTS

The Department of Justice has issued instructions that “under no circumstances are staff to be recruited, even to vacancies that have occurred since January 30, 1967, without the prior and specific approval of head office.”

This is one of several measures the department is taking to reduce expenditure. All controlling officers in the department have been told that “drastic steps are now to be taken, and we, as a department, must play our part without hesitation.” A staffing-strength ceiling has been fixed for the department—the number of staff employed at January 30 last. Controlling officers have been told that they cannot hope to have automatic increases in staff to meet increasing work. “We will have to endeavour to spread the additional burden among existing staff and encourage greater individual output,” the controlling officers have been told. , “Some offices are under establishment strength, but, with a ceiling on the total number of staff we can employ, there will be many vacancies which will not be filled during the present situation.” It is believed that this critical situation will place great strain on some senior officers in the department, but

the department Says that it has no alternative. In another move to cut costs, all central training courses in the department have been suspended. The conserving of electricity, telephone calls, postage and stationery is also urged.

Departmental officers using Government vehicles, or their own cars on a mileage arrangement, have been instructed to keep mileage to a minimum.

Registrars of courts have been instructed to give close attention to the number of jurors required for each panel. The reduction of panels by as few as two jurors, they have been told, would considerably reduce costs.