CIVIL SERVANTS

Evening Star, Issue 18808, 5 December 1924, Page 2

CIVIL SERVANTS

NEW ZEALAND’S QUOTA. An interesting comparison of the number of Civil servants in New Zealand, in proportion to population, with those of other countries was presented to a meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Progress League by Mr P. R. Climie (organiser). In presenting the gist, of tho information conveyed by the various reports (stated Mr Climio), I must give warning that it is doubtful if the figures are fairly comparable in all instances. For instance, tho Canadian form of government, follows more tho American pattern than that oil tho other dominions, the Police Force being under municipal control. Australia gives figures only of permanent central government (States and Federal) Civil servants, and offers no figures concerning those in the employ of municipalities. The United Kingdom authority offers two sets of figures, the larger of which presumably includes all manner of people employed by contractors to the Government and local bodies. The Canadian figures are for as far back as 1921—tho last decennial census return which has been completed up to the stage dealing with Civil servants, while the others are for more recent years. With these introductory reservations I present a digest of the figures which have been made available:—

A fairer comparison with the other figures for permanent Government employees in. the case of Canada is to add the” police and detective forces, numbering 5,734, who are under municipal control, bringing the number reckoned as “ permanent Government employees ” up to 57,593. When this adjustment is made the percentage for Canada in tho matter of permanent Government employees rises to 0.51. In tho above computations the population basis taken is that applying to the period to which the figures relate. Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., said that in New Zealand there were tho railwaymon to bo added to the number of Government employees, a service which in Canada was not controlled by the Government. There were other departments in New Zealand, such as the State Advances, which other countries did not have, and those points had to bo considered in criticising tho position in Now Zealand. The report was received.

Govt. Grand Perm. Ca-s. Manic. Total. N. Zealand 38,384 1700 18,527 68,411 Australia 202,4/6 — — — Canada 53,659 — 42,945 76,604 U. K. 352,700 — 688,938 1,041,638 —Percentages to Population. — Perm. Perm. All Govt, and Cas. Classes. Only. Govt. New Zealand ... 4.45 2.96 3.05 Australia — 3.56 — Canada 1.06 , 0.46 — U. Kingdom ... 2.74 0.93 —