"GRIN AND BEAR IT"

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 67, 20 March 1931, Page 5

"GRIN AND BEAR IT "

THE CIVIL- SERVICE CUT (By Associated Chambers of Commerce.); Those who hoped that the Parliamentary debate on the Prime. Minister* economy proposals might produce indications that the measures in view would ba at least fully adequate for their purpose, must have felt disappointed, at Mr. Forbes's new statement of the position. Ha found it necessary to tell the House that the prospective deficit was even greater that he had first indicated—that instead of £750,000 for the current year, it would probably be £1,250,000; and that the conntry had never faced a worse position of financial difficulty. This state of affairs, of course, merely emphasises the urgency of remedial measures. It increases enormously the responsibility of those who undertake merely destructive criticism of the Government's remedies, and makes «till more; imperative the plea for cooperation. The average employer or business man can scarcely escape his share of the burden; it will be imposed upon him by the inexorable conditions around him, and neither argument nor action on his part can affect it. The employee, oa the other hand, feels that he can perhaps postpone or reduce' his contribution by some form of joint action, though tha national view is, of course, that the sooner the cure is attempted the easier it will be. Sooner or later practically all classes will have to accept some personal share in the work of restoring economic strength to" the country; and even the powerful protection of awards will, as we can now see, be unable to produce an unfair, disi tribution of sacrifice. In the meantime, the servants of the State itself "are facing an early and general "cut." It is only natural to expect many associations of Government employees to protest against this reduction. It has been criticised as placing a disproportionately large share of the burden upon the Civil Service; but in view of the new situation revealed by Mr. Forbes, this criticism must be reviewed. Moreover, though the contribution of the Civil Service towards expunging the deficit may seem disproportionately large, other employees will have to bear a wages loss of somewhat similar weight, to help rectify the general national balance-sheet of which the State budget is but a part. While it is natural for many association^ of Government employees to prote#> against the proposed reduction of the* wages and salaries, it must be realised tha? they enjoy a degree of protection that i^ not shared by their fellow citizens wh^ hold similar positions in private employ The Associated Chambers of Commerce df not subscribe to the belief, often ear pressed, that public servants are undew worked and over-paid. Business men who come into daily contact with Government officials know that this .is not the case. Yet the Chambers do think that in a sense the Public Service is overmanned; they think that the Government renders far too many unjustified social services and that there is an unnecessary multiplicity of departments. Even1 if it is considered that these services should be continued, there seems no reason why certain readjustments and amalgamation* should not take place; In the crisis which is now being experienced, private business generally has had to be overhauled and to have its human assets assessed. Extrava» gant methods which have been accepted in prosperous times have had to give way to economical methods. Curtailments and readjustments have had to be made and retrenchment both in numbers and payment of personnel has been general. All these the Civil Service has so far escaped, sbut it cannot hope to continue to do so. The thinking members of tha service have long recognised that retrenchment was inevitable. Although there will be a' certain time-lag, the prices of commodities will inevitably fall in sympathy with the decline in the wage rate, so that spending power will eventually ba little affected, if at all. In the meantime, there is only one reasonable and" healthy attitude—to face the position cheerfully and make the best of it. Itmight have been much worse. More than that, if ws do not all do our best, it will be.