THE CIVIL SERVICE FROM WITHIN.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 539, 21 June 1909, Page 8

THE CIVIL SERVICE FROM WITHIN.

* ' (Bt Crarx.)

fhesearticles on the Civil Service arc written for thoughtful consideration as the views of one who has spent many years in the service of the State, is now on the retired list, but still sympathises with the old-Service and would say for it what he feels ■ should be said: In. dealing with this subject, the,. aim of the writer is-to present to the public the truo position:of the Civil Servico; tho contrast between the outlook 'of tho 'service in its early days and its outlook now; its gradual deprivation of privileges conferred by statute; the changed conditions under the Act of 1886; the present position under the Act of 1907-8; tho crisis that has come about under the Lew policy; and suggestions for the protection and well-being of the servico in the future. Now that the scheme of retrenchment of the Civil Servico has been made public, it is but right that' the service itself should be considered from within, and'thoso interests and details set forth, a due consideration of which can alone encourage the members of that service in carrying out their duties. The recent action of the Government recalls the action taken in 1891-2 in its panic effects. The Black Friday of 1909 will be remembered by and by as, having farther-reach-ing consequences than the Black Monday of 1891. What took place, then, is a matter of history; but tho methods have not been before tho public. What happened was this. The First "Black List." When tho Liberal party came into power,, the Government of the day proposed a new programme, the key to which was tho revision of the service, and tho introduction of new men to (ill important posts, with the object of carrying out tho administrative ideas of some of those Ministers who had taken office. An impression had been developed, in tho mmds of Ministers of. that day that there were officers holding responsible positions who could not bo relied upon as being in sympathy with tho trend of the new programme. Tho first idea was'that a general shuffle was necessary, and it was freely stated that it was a bad thing for tho country to have the same officers holding positions for moro than a few. years in-any, locality. The late Mr. Ballance, who was then Premier, was very decided on this point, and therefore the ohanges had to be made in tho local personnel. It was an easy transition of thought to get rid of a man altogether from the servico when there was no place to which he could be transferred. Local experience and tried and proved service were not to be considered or weighed. It was enough that "A had been for such a time in such a place"; on .that very account he was credited with prejudice and personal leanings, and therefore he must make room for a more plastic subject. In result changes were considered and carried out. How Patronage and Espionage Began. Bnt that was not all. A list of projected retirements was compiled,' and hod that list boenVadhered to in, its entirety' the result would not only have been serious in its effects, but would have staggered tho public. Immediately after drafting that list Ministers, scattered north and south, leaving tho fact as an item of public information that drastic changes were .contemplated. The particulars we're jealously ■ guarded, and, only in a few instances, were the contemplated changes allowed to leak out. While Ministers wore away from tho seat.of goverrrment, the yeast was allowed to work. Tho offect.iri. the.service ,was apparent at cmco, and then began the_ test of endurance. It was a new feature in Government methods that the service was to be considered so untrustworthy that it was necessary to remove responsible officers from tho sphere of temptat/ion. It was not generous. The block list was modified when it was found that it could not be adopted then in its entirety, but the mischief was done. The service recognised at once that tho key to preferment was not a sense of public duty, but sorvility to the Ministry. It was a new experience.- One effect was immediately to .emphasise tho truth of tho presence of what may be understood by the personal equation. -Ministers scarcely realised that force of character in individuals is not a privilege attaching to a portfolio. There were men of oxperionco who, strengthened by individuality,'could not ho obsequious. These men had to bo eliminated. Thi3 was not all; a system of patronage was inaugurated peculiar to tho times, and, in many instances, this patronage took tho form of extra' assistance in .various Departments, tho appointees being men whose bias was marked—they might oven have been deemed confidential agents whoso sense of duty oven could take the form of confidential reports to their patrons of the' remarks or opinions that came within their range. A system of espionage grew up and became common knowledge, and the press was good enough to draw attention to the fact and comment thereon. -Such, brioSy, was the condition of things in the servico under the regime of "Progressive Administration." The Baneful Act of 1088. " One curious fact may be noted: The Oivil Service 'Act of 1886, which was intended to be a Reform Act and was ostensibly enacted to improve the condition of the Service, and. among other.things, to check patronage, did more to confirm tho practice than anything else. The boast of the day when that Aot came into force was that, from thencoforth, the Civil Service was to bo purified arid stamped with every desirable public virtue. The Act was spoken of as a marvehof lucidity, and it was said that it showed striking evidence of perspicacity in its author, who, oy the way, took credit for having drafted the Bill one morning before breakfast! That the Act bears, evidence of the fact there can bo littlo doubt.

That Act of 1886 was fatal to the best interests of the Civil Service.. It destroyed the last vestige of those privileges and inducements that existed under former Acts, and the Civil Service, as such, coased to be an opening to on honourable profession. Under the cloak of "expert" every chance person conld find a way into the service. Some very curious "experts" did. The important point is that the qualification of "expert" was a very wide door indeed for patronage, and that door'was always agape. So far from the Act being a safeguard to the State, and a check to extravagant patronage, it has been found that the law was being evaded perpetually, and it finally became a dead letter. The periodical returns laid before Parliament of appointments made under that Act are amusing to those who are familiar with the practice. >. ■■ ■

The Buslness-litie Prc-Llboral Days. It may be helpful at tlis stage to look hack at the Acts dealing with the Civil Service in its early history, as affording a ground of comparison of the condition of the' Civil Service then and now. A. brief notice will suffice, in order to lead up to the provision under the law to-day. Taking 1858 as the date when the Civil Service waß formally recognised as a public Institution for the machinery of government,' a member of the, servico had certain prospects before him. Tho Civil Servico Superannuation Act of 1858 provided— "That any officer, clerk, or other poTson employed in tho Civil Service of the colony of New Zealand, who desired to avail himself of tbo retiring allowance therein provided, should notify such desire in writing addressed to tho Colonial Secretary, accompanied by a medical certificate signed by two medical practitioners that, by reason of ago, bad health, or other infirmity, ho is no longer capable of performing his duties. Provided that any person who shall have served 30 years and upwards shall bo entitled to avail himself of such retiring allowance without such certificate. In order to make special provision for the officers, clerks, and other persons ' who entered tho Civil Service of the colony before the passing of the >nid 'ct. *w a period of tarvice of or extending ■

17 years and under 31 years, an annual allowanco equivalent to ($-12ifl8 of such salary for every complete year of such service over and above 17 years, and for 31 years and upwards, an annual allowance equivalent to 8-12ths of such salary." Tho Civil Service Amendment Act, of 1861, made provision for officers appointod prior to August, 1853, to receive retiring allowance without medical certificate, anything in the said recited Act notwithI standing. Tbo amount of retiring allowance was as follows:—To any such officer or person who shall have entered the Service before August 10, 185S, and who shall havo served 14 years and upward, and under 17 years, and who, at tho time of his retirement, shall be of the ago of 50 years and upwards, an annual allowanco, equivalent to seven-twelfths of the average salary of office or officer held by him during the last three years of the period of his seryico. .Tho Act of 1866 introduced a system of compensation on retirement, and tho Act of 1872 abolished pensions for the future. The Act of- 1886 did away with compensation, but made it compulsory that every one entering the Service under that Act should offect an insurance. Ahl Those "Exports!" Those Extra Clerks! These various changes require to be noticed' in order to rightly appreciate the position of tho Civil Servants undeT tho present, law. By the Act of 1886, the last inducement to make the Civil Service a profession was taken away, and tho Service became the refuge of the unhappy. No appointments were supposed to be made of any one to tho service unless the candidate had passed the Civil Service examination. But there was provision for "experts." Thi3 opened a wide door, and full advantage was taken of the opportunity. Thus, it is evident that; until the movement of recent yearSj to consider and recogniso tho position of Civil. Servants, tho service had drifted from one position to another, status was lost, and no prospect was held out to any one save those fow who had been appointed under tho Act of 1861, or 1866. After repeated efforts, and by dint of consistent 1 importunity, and much anxious preliminary work, the Civil Service Acts now in force wore introduced to I'arliaraont, and eventually found their place in fho Statute Book, became law, and superannuation was recognised as a duo to tho service under given conditions. For that consummation tho present Government must be, credited. Tho great difficulty in dealing with* tho matter, was how to meet tho caso of tho largo number of "extra clerks," who formed the bulk of the service—i.e., those who had been in employ, in many instances, for a number of years, and yet had ho Btatus. finally, as a compromise, five years' sorvico was 'accepted as a fair period of service to warrant the recognition of an individual, who had served that period of time, as a permanent officer.. This chango in the law admitted a Largo number of persons to tho desired status, and. tho benefits under tho Acts. The position was simply this: Tho number of extra clerks throughout the service was considerably in excess of tho permanent officers. , It was anomalous, and in process of time the result would have been a service of State without officers of 'any recognised official status. The group of Acts 1907-S, defining an officer as a permanent officer, provides also for classification, as well as superannuation, 'and the principle of extending tho privileges S?u th f,Yt! olo Service is recognised. Lhe .Public Service—in this Bense—has a wider meaning than the original Civil Service, and rtjnchides all tho services directly controlled by some State Department. The superannuation scheme now in force is based on the principle of individual contribution to a common fund, and it was doubtless an advantage to' increase the number of contributors to such-fund: but it must not bo forgotten that, though tho binl borvico and tho Public Sorvico are mixed up a Civil Sorvico Act is still in .orco, and the privileges or rights (if any) remaining under that Act should be jealously guarded, or they will surely be filched it tnore is not very watchful •care: ' ■

Departments which Foresaw (ha Deluge. • _It will be observed that'tiro of the groat Departments of State had already secured spcraal privileges,; viz., the p ost and Telegraph Department, and tho Railway DepartS' i tti. * wo Bervicea are to be commended for their conrago and determination to obtain distinct recognition by the Govonment. They accomplished this by oramisation. Thoy have a recognised standing, have representative men, and they are able to assert their rights and compel a hearu»g. Wo Government can bo deaf to their lcnco and the business interests of tho Do. mimon are myorved, it is well that any Goveminent should feel that these two dK services are very real factors. . . uuninra ,J^^ old T ntfm «» demands of these eorvicos havo. been made questions of first irnportenco and thoy have had to be conttiuhoul its meaning. The whole trend of public feeling now n.fibo need of organicHi whatever walk of life, seo tho necessity for orgamsatioji. ,TJiis may We its dl foots, but it certainly has its advantages, ine organisation of the whole of tho civil Borneo is a matter of «x(remo moment, and if that is accomplished, it will bo tho first step towards efficiency, which is tho ripo fruit of security. The necessity for this step can bo abundantly shown. With.a proper organisation there, would not bo the tendencywhich now, indeed, has grown into a practice -ot obtaining the help of a member of ParMament m order to have a rcqnest considered. Tho ideal of the Civil Service should be above that A Civil Servant should not be humiliated by the K>ceasity of thinking that ne requires "a fnend at court "to secure a hearing on or thd duo consideration of any particular matter.' If members of Parliament realised the miechief done by encouraging this practice of using their good offices as a via media, they would bo tho first to discourage it. It has for years been a recognised process that the way to obtain any consideration is by tho intervention of as of Parliament as can bo brought to bear on tho object, always having dno regard to the question how suoh members stand in' relation to Buddha. Aloofness of Departmental Heads. _ One reason for the growth of this practice 19 the absence of sympathy between tie heads of Departments and their subordinate officers. /There is too much aloofness. The living Enks 'are too often missing. That wholesome spirit of within certain necessarily restricted limits, between tho head of a Department and the rank and file does not exist, though there have been some notable exceptions. There is, however, very often a false note in the chord, and tho harmony is destroyed. The effect is a jar. and tho result is painful. This is the inevitable product of a vicious system, which has been developed in a political atmosphere. Heads of Departments need, to bo the confidential and responsible advisers of the Ministers in charge, and, through them, of the Government. That is what it should bo. When Ministers listen to such advice there is no friotion, and tbo Departmental head is tho buffer between the Minister and tho public; tbe internal administration of a Department then proceeds smoothly. This engenders confidence in all the officers, and tho. best possible work is performed. Wben Ministers stoop to other influences they are Boon detected, for the very simple reason that tho nature of official work cultivates and develops the analytical faculty, and. partiality and favouritism cannot bo hidden. A Civil Service, to bo effective in tho highest sense, must work in harmony, and a Government is wjso that recognises this truism. The Service) A Target for Road-metal. It was the late Sir William Jorvois who, when Governor of Now Zealand, made this remark: "Tho Civil Service of this colony is the most loyal service and the worst treated." Why tho Civil Service should invariably be tbe "Aunt Sally" for tho public to throw at is because it has been used by tho legislators as a field for patronago, and to exploit the particular cry of the hour. Does tho publio desire somo object at which to hnrl invective? The Civil Service is considered fair game. How little docs that public, which is so well served, know of tho actual work. The public reaps tho benefits, but tho active and ever-moving machinery is an unknown quantity. That there may ho room for simplification and uunrovemcut ia tho U-o

mxUor for argument. The eorrfco docs its work on recognised lines. If those lines are antiquated and a bettor system can bo in'trodoced and made workablo,' no one will quarrel with tho change. But we must deal with things as they are, and no hurried reform is ever safe. It is so easy to bretti down. Is a Board of Control Feasible? The repeated references in the public press of this Dominion, urging the advisableness of creating an independent Board of Control and ■ keeping ' tho Bervice clear from polities! iiillnenco, is not, unless by a comploto severanco from political control, a workablo scheme—certainly not at present.- Like all genuino reforms, such reforms as may bo necessary '■ must come from within. Under a system of party government an independent board is a dream. Ton cannot treat the sorvico as a business. concern, and run it on business lines. Tho requirements' of tho sorvico arc not business requirements in the ordinarj moaning of tho term. It is admitted that outside work may be carried on by business methods where contracts and "works" are involved,. and it would be found on scrutiny that business methods aro followed as far aa possible j but such methods obviously cannot be rigorously adopted, for the simple reason that the Minister is the ultimate appeal in the administration of his Department. A Civil Sorvico Board, without the Govornment being strongly represented, would be a curiosity as things are. Tho theory of strong men being appointed on the Board oi Control is a pleasant notion. 'Who would appoint them? No, a CSvi] Sorvico Board in New Zealand would bo a mistake, and would not meet tho requirements of tho times. Tho sorvico is to bo trusted—no one knows hotter than tie' Government. The sorvico has been tested, has been repeatedly tried in the fires of endurance, and has stood the tost. Its future rests with itself; But before considering that side of tho subject it is necessary to say a word on tho position of tho Civil Servants under tho law as it stands at present Of that later. (To bo continued.)