THE CIVIL SERVICE.

Evening Star, Issue 8479, 2 April 1891, Page 1

THE CIVIL SERVICE.

The Bill which is to be brought in during the ensuing session for the organisation end regulation of the Civil Service, and the making better provision in respect thereof, would appear to be a fitting sequel to the Civil Service Rgjppm Act, 1886, which waa introduced'lhol passed through the Legislature by Sir Robert Stodt when Premier in 1886. When we say introduced by Sir Robebt, it is right to explain that the statute differs very materially from the draft as settled by him and approved in Cabinet. In regard to first appointments, it was, for instance, proposed that the American system in the matter of naval cadetships should be adopted, where the nominations are made by members of the House of Representatives, who have the privilege in their turn; so that the officers of the service are recruited from every part of the United States, Such a sweeping reform did not, however, commend Itself to the Legislative Council, and the nominations accordingly were left with the Government ; it being provided that every person to be appointed shall only enter the service as a cadet after competitive examination ; the most successful competitors, in their order of merit, being selected to fill vacancies. We are justified in stating that this enactment baa virtually proved a dead letter, and that appointments have been made very much in the old way, and, like “ kissing,” have ‘‘ gone by favor the having passed the Civil Service examination, however, having been a sine qua non in all cases. Sir Robert failed also in inducing Parliament to accept the proposal that a commission should be appointed to deal periodically with the question of salaries, so as to relieve the Ministry and the House from the very troublesome and invidione duty of determining where increases may or may not be granted and adjustments made. But the Act establishes at least two important principles—that the Civil Service shall be one of the avenues of employment open to women, and that officers of the service shall be technically three monthly servants—t.e , removable at anytime after three months’ notice. It was the intention of the late Government to supplement the manifestly imperfect legislation of 1886 by a comprehensive scheme of classification ( but owing to difficulties in the House, to which it is unnecessary now to refer, they never found themselves in a position to do this except iu regard to the Postal and Telegraph Department. A Civil Service Bill was introduced by Mr Mitciiklson and read a first time during the session of 1890, bat, having been printed and circulated, was not proceeded with farther. This measure was very elaborate and carefully prepared, and may with advantage in many particulars be adopted by the present Cabinet.

The Premier, in his interview with the correspondent of the 1 New Zealand Herald*’ which was reported in oar issue of Monday, spoke ont very clearly as to the general scope and tenor of the reorganisation of the Civil Service, which will be submitted for the consideration of* Parliament. The abolition of all superfluous offices, and the retirement of every who is not absolutely required, must necessarily, Mr JBallance declares, preclude the formulating of any effective scheme for economising the departmental expenditure ; whilst, at the same time, securing that those who really do the work shall be fairly remunerated, The soundness of this proposition must be conceded; but we are disposed, nevertheless, to think that there has been somewhat undue precipitancy in deciding as to the offices which are really superfluous, and that in the treatment of individuals considerations as to their relative usefulness cannot have been very deliberate. There has been, it would seem, rather a slashing right and left than careful pruning, with the certain consequence that in many instances injustice has been done. It is not, however, too late, even now, to remedy this ; and in the case of old and faithful servants of the public, soitaething should be done to prevent their being turned out into the world with only a small compensatory allowance between them and destitution. In regard to the scheme, the leading features of which Mr Ballaxce has described, we are inclined to regard it favorably; although, with the information just now at our disposal, we cannot commit ourselves to the approval of every detail. It is our conviction that certain departments have been over-manned, and will lose nothing in efficiency by judicious redactions. As yet nothing has transpired as to the particular branches of the service we refer to; and we are beginning to apprehend that the wave of retrenchment is again to pass them by, as it has done on former occasions when economic reform has been effected. If the reorganisation and settlement of the service are to be on the basis indicated—namely, that “ every officer “ shall have work equivalent to what salary “ he gets,” and that “ the salary shall be a “ fair and liberal payment for the work it “ represents’’—such a scheme will be eminently satisfactory, both to the Civil servants and to the public. To the carrying ont of this, it is essential that the application of the principles stated should be invariable—that there should be no exceptions whatever ; no departments in which, under any pretext, drones are allowed to hive. A very distinct advantage of the classification as proposed being confirmed by statute would be the withdrawal, practically, of the departmental estimates from being recklessly dealt with every year in Committee of Supply. The scale in the several divisions of the service being fixed under the Act, individual salaries could not be interfered with, or made the subject of purposeless debates. The House, however, very properly would have to be specially referred to when, under any circomstances, remuneration to an officer above the scale rate should be proposed. Au important amendment of the Act of ISS6 is contemplated in the repeal of the provision for providing retiring allowances for Civil servants by deducting 5 per cent, from their salaries daring their tenure of office. The Government are of opinion that it would be far better that some equivalent provision should be made by the officers themselves; and apparently, from what Mr Ballance said, this is to be insisted upon—free license being given to individuals to make such provision in the way each may prefer. The actuaries of the Government Insurance Department are to be instructed to prepare “ a table providing for the life insurance of “ Civil servants, as well as for annuities “payable at definite ages.” If, as seems likely to be established, the Colony is to cease to have any responsibility in regard to retiring allowances, the system of deferred annuities would appear to be especially suitable, as providing a definite Income on retirement.