CIVIL SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 506, 13 May 1909, Page 8

CIVIL SERVICE.

PROGRESS OF RETRENCHMENT. HOW DEPARTMENTS STAND. An anxious uncertainty still prevails in tho Civil Servico .with regard to tho schemo of rotranchment,' which tho - Prime. Minister., continues to amiounoo. by small instalments.. It is probable that tho efficiency of the . "sorvice will be impaired for months to oomo > by tho necessary disorganisation of Depart-, mcnts during the amalgamation proooss, and the uncertainty of many of their members as to whether they will retain their positions or bo turned adrift. Tho Prime Minister states that a number of offioers 'have already received notice that their services will - bo disponsod with, but as far as investigation can discover, tho number must bo vory Email. It appears that oerfiiiin officers in Departments which will undergo absorption received notico a.bout a month ago to hold themselves •in readiness for retirement, but apparently only a small number, wero so treated, and a proportion of those are. still hoping-that tho'Government will bo able to utilise their services. A degreo of satisfaction is derived from Sir Joseph Ward's statement that ho, lias already secured an annual saving of £187,000, though, tho magnitude 'of this amount, in relation to tho amalgamations and retirements so far announced, has proved generally surprising. It,is admitted that tha PrinuJ Minister may have detailed figures to justify 'his claim, but witho'ut theso it is' hard to see how so largo an amount can bo saved by the'changes he-has notified. A number of tho duties and liabilities of absorbed Departments will bo necessarily undertaken by other Departments,,, and the saving by/ thoir absorption will not bo so. largo, asmight appear from first sight. So far almost, all tho retirements announced have., boon, tliose gf men who havo reaohed tho ago limit, • and .to whom, substantial! pensions will, bo duo. Nor can tho successors of these men,, in many cases, bo expccted to take up superior duties without/ some' increase of" remuneration. It becomes additionally cer-; tain, from inquiry, that the Primo Minister's, schemo is still far from complete, though hohas doubtless received reports and'infonna-' tion in respect of a number of Departments* the result of which has not yet been mado pohlio.' The following is the position of BOino Of tho most important Departments at'tho present time:

No decision has been' arrived at by tho Government in regard possible retrench- ' monts and retirements in ~tllo Custortß Department, which in future will include Marine. . . ■ • > ln .the Agricultural Department no final list of officers who may be retrenched has yet - been considered, though it is sato to say, that the number in tho Dominion as a whole, will be considerable. No officers in this Department hare received provisional warning' ■of. retirement. /, ; • In*the Justice Department no retirements are expected. Tho expenditure and staff of this Department has never, it is asserted, beep allowed to gro v unduly. In tho Audit Department it is probable that no officers will retire, .except those who i have already gone, being over 60 years of ago. No steps have yet been takon in regard to retrenchment or retirements in the Education Department, and it is said'that thero is not room to do much there. It is assorted that'the staff/and expenditure of tho Public Works Department havo not been allowed to incrpase beyond the nop.; mal requirements of increasing public works,', and that very littlo economy can bo effected, there unless the Government's programme of' public undertakings is to bo mucn reduced m future. ' *>•.•., '• ■ . The amalgamation of the Land and Income | and Valuation Departments, it is expected, ■will enable their : work to bo'carried out bya' considerably less hiimber. of clerks.. . '•■• ..•» Apparently _ tho question "'of possible retrenchments in tho, Labour; Department has not yet been'considered. ; Tho absolution of the Stamp Department' will from that at : first suggested. 'The supply o£ stamps is altogether, a minor function of this Department, which, might bo callod,'L miicn more appropriately, after , tho:',English' prq-' cedent; of Inland Hovenuo, ' The Department assesses and exacts duty on transfers, leases, probates, and all such dutiable transactions,. and for this work, a . specialised staff is necessary.. To escape the lull payment of duty is regarded as legitimate clovorness by a considerable proportion of ■ the public, and tho officers of the Department havo to see that they obtain the furthest farthing which is tho State's rights. Tho law governing tho assessment of duties on deceased persons', estates is exceedingly complicated, and hundreds "of pounds might bG lost in rovenuo' by a computing officer who was not alive to every aspect of the Department's rights in the .matter. A legal'deed, •moreover, is not necessarily, a simple transI for or .-conveyance-,because it bears one or ! other of those titles ; on .'the back. Half-a-dozon transactions, each iiablo to a different scale of duty, may bo included in a single, document,' which tho guileless owner may -bring forward to have stamped at -the. single lowest rate of assessment. Work of this kind, requiring special knowledge and experience, could hardly bo relegated to postmasters, and if the Stamp Do. partment is brought, as was originally announced by the l'rimo Minister, under thb Postal Department, it would still need to' retain, a large proportion of' its: older and more fixperieneed officers for these duties of assessment. But thoro is a serious obstacle to bringing; this, tho main work of the Stamp. Department,' under thecontrol of the Postal Department.- Tho, officers in. charge of , stamp business, in almost all tho other centres—Auckland, Christchurch, Nel6on, Napier, Invercargill, etc.—are District Land Registrars, and the Land and Deeds Office will be under tho Justico Department. It would ho extromely awkward , for these officers t<r como uiider'two separate controlling authorities, and it, : is understood, therefore, that the revenue ■functions ;of tho old Stamp Department will also bo brought under tho Department of Justice. , Tho Stamp Department is - also responsible at present for,tho manufacture and supply.of stamps. Its' impressed stamps are manufactured on tho promises, and its adhesive stamps are printed at the Government Prints ing Office, the paper being supplied by' the Stamp Department. Stamps are also issued by this Department to the local dealers and others, Tho manufacture and issue of these stamps might very naturally, and probably will bo, taken over:by the Postal Department, hut tho'result will mainly bo a changing of control. An, ultimate reduction might be made in counter staff, but it is difficult to see . how any considerable economy would be effected. ■' ■ / .