NOT OVERSTAFFED

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 19, 17 October 1930, Page 8

NOT OVERSTAFFED

P. and T. Department REDUCTION SINCE 1924 Commercialisation Tendencies Dominion Special Service. Auckland, October 16. An answer to the charge that there is overstaffing of Government departments was made at to-day's Chamber of Commerce luncheon by Mr. G. McNamara, Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department. “We are told that every Government department is overstaffed,” said Mr. McNamara. “In the case of. the Post and Telegraph Department, in 1925 we had a staff of 12,400, and in 1930 11,505, or nearly 1000 less. The reduction has been brought about through the commercialisation of the department. We have tightened up everything and we have Introduced machinery where before things were done by hand. In addition we have inculcated Into the minds of the staff the desire to produce a balance-sheet on a payable basis in every office in the country. Nearly every session of Parliament throws new duties on the department- A few years ago we had motor registrations given us, and in successive years we have been given third-party risk and control of broadcasting to occupy our minds. Now we are to have a share in the collection of the unemployment tax on which we have already started. Notwithstanding all these additional things we have reduiced our staff by 1000. We feel we will be able to get down even further, as we can accomplish that as we improve our daily work.’’ Mr. McNamara explained that he had come to Auckland because he felt that there should be better understanding between the department and business men, who were the department’s best customers. Referring to the possibility of the commercialisation of the department with a view to bringing about a diminution of political control, Mr. McNamara said that at present the department was under political control, except so far as the staff was concerned, and all the department’s actions were governed by Acts of Parliament. It was not always possible therefore to fall in fully with the ideas of business men, but there was a lot left untouched by law, and it was on that side of the business that they were working for the true commercialisation of the department. In 1920 the late Mr. Massey decided that a balance-sheet should be prepared for every Government department, and in the last jive years the department had presented a statement of finance of which it could be proud. Last year the department managed to make a profit of £16.000. notwithstanding the subsidising of the New Zealand-Vancouver, and the AustraliaBluff mail services at a cost of £28,000, and Customs duties on imported goods, costing £17.000.