STATE SERVICES

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 41, 16 August 1930, Page 8

STATE SERVICES

THE CHEAPEST THINGS "ROAR FOR RETRENCHMENT" The much-voiced complaint that th* Government is not cutting down th<( services which it gives to the country) were recently criticised by the Professor of Economies at the Otago Univer* sity, Dr. A. G. B. Fisher, who. said that "when we examine in detail the work which the Government is doing, it becomes clear that there are very few directions in which it would be desirable to cut down Government expenditure. On the whole, the services of" the Government are among the cheapest things which we buy in New Zealand." ; ' Commenting upon the professor's dictum, the Auckland "Star" described it as "an economist's unusual view.'' A formerly prominent ex-publio servant, writing in an Auckland suburban paper, claims that an unusual view is often, as in this case, the correct view. "In days like these," he pro-ceeds,-"when there is a depressing financial smudge across the fair face of New Zealand, all sorts and condition! of men are calling on'the Government to economise in the Public Services. As Dr. Fisher says, their demands ar« made 'in very general terms.' But it must not be forgotten that economiei in this sense mean reduction in staffs; and depleted staffs mean restricted services. Yet Chambers of Commerce, trade associations, societies, private individuals, are demanding reduction in expenditure, and without exception, these demands are couched 'in very} general terms.' A BOOMERANG" ARGUMENT. "The fact is that those who ara making the demands are g'uet a litile bit afraid. Each, in their own way, imagine, they aro sincere, but all know that their requests are dangerously akin to the boomerang. They are very; much afraid that some State Service, from which, in its present form, they; derive much benefit, might bo curtailed, to their disadvantage. They all demand reduction, but they want' the reduction made in a way that will not affect their interests. • . , '' That this is true is shown by the mulitude of protests which have been, submitted to the Government. There is the Saihvay Service, for example. The Government, taking the public at its word, has decided that-as there are various lines which do not pay, timetables which do not result in economy,, works which might be postponed, these services shall cease. What is the result? Petitions pour in from those who may suffer inconvenience. Politicians demand that men shall not ba dispensed with. They even demand that men be retained on unremunerative work, unless the Government is prepared to make work for them elsewhere. And still the cry goef up for economy in State Services. AN AWIiWABD ALTERNATIVE. "Chambers of Commerce say that Jh* Government is deplorably extravagant in its administration of State Services. The inforenco is that, if those services wero in the hands of business men, they could render better service more • economically. And yet, thero is not one of them who would not bo up in amis if the Government took them at their word,"and said, 'Wo have deoided to do away with State control of Kailways, Post and Telegraph and Telephone, Public WorSjp, Land Settlement, Education, and dispose of tho rights to the highest bidder for administration by private enterprise.' "An experience of the position: that would ensue, under private enterprise, with dividends to be earned at all costs, would soon prove the truth of Dr. Fisher's remarks, when he says, 'The services of the Government are among the cheapest things which we buy in New Zealand.' It seems there-,, fore only right that. those who, on every occasion of political and economic controversy, launch attacks on State services, should abandon 'very general terms,' come out in the open, and say in specific terms just how they would proceed to do what they are demanding of the Government. Something really practical in the way of constructive criticism is about duo."