CANADIAN ECONOMY

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 146, 21 June 1924, Page 16

CANADIAN ECONOMY

LATEST SCHEME TO ELIMINATE WASTE.

The National Economy Conference recently held in Ottawa under the auspices of boards of trade and similar public organisations resulted in two or Uiree practical recommendations, states the Toronto correspondent pf the Melbourne. "Argus." There is no doubt that money can be saved by more clearly defining the activities of the various administrative departments, if not by amalgamation, in some cases. Something- lias already been accomplished by the merging of departments, but it does not appear that this method of eliminating waste has been exhausted.' There have been .for many years examples of oyprlappmg and duplication of work, all of which mean the unnecessary expenditure of public money. Some savings have been effected by reducing tho output of Government publications of one kind and another, but the volume is still large, and so is the variety, tho De^ pai'tmenls of Agriculture and Trade and Commerce being largely responsible for the publication, of numerous pamphlets and bulletins. By a more business-like co-ordination of the work of the several Departments ifc may be possible to reduce substantially the cost of administration, not only by a reduction in the personnel of the service, but in the discontinuance of reports which are not of sufficient value to warrant their cost, or which are duplicated, wholly or- partly. Other recommendations included the calling of • a conference" with the provinces for the purpose of eliminating duplication in taxation, and the publication of , plain statements of public revenues and expenditure, debt, and interest charges, including the accounts of the Canadian' national railways. Taxation may not be reduced by denning more closely the respective spheres of the Dominion and provinces, but an examination of the whole scheme of taxation, by means of puch a conference, will give the public a better idea of their position and their vastly increased cost of administration, and such an understanding is bound to intensify the demand for the eliminatiqn fit waste. The same is true'of the pubhe accounts, and especially of the railway accounts. The public should know exactly what their commitments are how these commitments are growing and what is being done with their money. They should know what the cost of the railways has been—the cost of all the railways included in the Canadian national system^and they should know that they are paying the charges on that cost, plus.the charges upon yeai-ly additions to the capital obligations of the system. _ That,, too, will demonstrate the imperative need for greater economy