STATE EMPLOYEES

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 8, 10 July 1922, Page 8

STATE EMPLOYEES

NEW ZEALAND'S POSITION

SOME ASTOUNDING FIGURES,

A recent discussion in the Australian Federal Parliament on the subject «f the jrrowing army of State employees disclosed the- faofc that there is one person working- for tho Government to every sis of Australia's male adult population. The figures were cabled to New Zealand as a surprising disclosure, but, says the Auckland Star, examination of the Dominion's own position shows almost similar results. The proportion of State employees to the adult male population of .New Zealand is not quite so high as in tho Commonwealth, but the difference can only be expressed in decimals, for the proportion is 6.37. Now Zealand rail transport is entirely in the hands of the State, and there arc so many other public activities that it is not surprising that tho State pay-roll is bo large. The Prime Minister recently told iParliament that the number of State employees now stood at approximately 50,000. This estimate agrees with the debails taken from official sources. As there is no official census of State employees available — the last estimate was made in 1915—the facts have had to be secured from departmental reports and the Consolidated Fund Estimates. They may, however, be taken as reliable and up-to-date. The main features of the army of New Zestland State employees are set out as follows:— Employees under control of Public Service Commissioner 7,353 Temporary employees under control of Public Service Commissioner 986 Casuals, including workmen 6,575 Railway Department ... 14,252 Post and Telegraph Employees ...... 8,436 Police (excluding administrative officers) :..: 1,079 Parliamentary Officers, permanent... 51 Judges and Magistrates 37 Teachers, primary schools 5,175 Teachei-s, secondary schools 400 Public Works Department, artisans 772 Public Works Department, labourers 6,097 Defence Department 642 Total 51,085 The above list does not include the temporary officers employed in Parliament' Buildings during the session. They number something over 100. Nor does the list include 2115 country postmasters and postmistresses who cannot be regarded as whole-time employees of the State. The miners of the State mine are also excluded. As a basis of comparison with adult malcs'is not quite fair, in viow of the fact that women enter so largely _into presentday occupations, the comparison has been worked out on the • basis of the breadwinners of New Zealand. This shows that there is one State employee to every 94 of the Dominion's working population. , The list does not end with employees of the State, for there is another large pay-roll associated with local bodies and harbour boards. These bodies employ 9539- perjhanents and 4277 casual hands, making a total of 13,870, and bringing up to 64,955 the number of persons who draw their, wages or salaries from public sources in the Dominion. Including the local body employees, there is one person drawing public money for every 7-£ persons comprising the Dominion's working population When the position was officially investigated in 1915, the Government Statistician came to the conclusion that the proportion was one-eighth of the total breadwinners.' Everyone realises "that the army of public employees has considerably enlarged since that date. It was then estimated that the total number of State and local body employees was 43,195, but to-day the total is 64,955, and there is no cessation in the demand for public services, although retrenchment has been .vigorously urged on behalf of the taxpayer and the ratepayer.