The Franklin Times PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOON FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1933. MR FORBES IN AUCKLAND.

Franklin Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 37, 31 March 1933, Page 4

The Franklin Times PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY, WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY AFTERNOON

FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1933. MR FORBES IN AUCKLAND.

Office and Works: ROULSTON STREET. PUKEKOHE. 'Phone No. 2. P.O. Box 14 "We noming extenuate nor augm set (iOA'n in malice."

MR FORBES was entertained at luncheon by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday last, and the opportunity was taken both by Mr Forbes and the members of the Chamber to give expression to their divergent points of view. The Chamber did no I enter into a comprehensive examination of I he Government's actions to which it objected, nor was the occasion one when such an exami ination would have been generous. ! Two important points, however, were j mentioned will) perfect justice and propriety. The chairman expressed the opinion of his colleagues that the Government had failed to reduce expenditure in the Slate Departments and to economise in public undertakings. He also informed the Prime Minister that another mat lei- upon which the Chamber had strong views was the unfair trading by Government and Local Bodies. - In his own speech the Premier skirted these questions but made no attempt to deal with them. He mentioned several directions in which ; economies had been effected, but that I was scarcely the way to deal with the specific matters that had been put to him. The Chamber was well aware that some economics had been afteiiipled, and to point out to them...what they : : already well-knew could not be regarded as a very sound defence. The fact is that no defence was offered, and no explanation whjoh might in aiiy degree excuse the failure to reorganise the Civil Service, or to curtail the encroachment of Government Departments upon the business world. It may be that an unfortunate remark that fell from the Premier was intended as a excuse for the continued excessive cost of the public administra-

tion. Referring to the vote of £5,800,000 for education and pensions he said, "No Government can afford to : disregard public opinion in these matters." The expression is more than strange in the mouth of the head of a Government which was put into power with a free hand to deal with a desperate situation as it thought fit. It would be extraordinary coming from any Government, but from a Government which undertook the weighty duty of research and action in the height of an economic blizzard it is too suggestive of a retreat in disorder. The duty of research was met by the appointment of two important and, as it proved, most courageous commissions. The reports of both were thorough and comprehensive, and there was not in either of them anything cither dangerous or revolutionary- The probability is that if both reports had

been received with the welcome their framers were entitled to expect, and put into operation at once; the country would now be well on the way to recovery from its financial difficulties. But, as soon as the deliberations and decisions of the commissions were known, it became obvious that the Government was paralysed by nervous fear of the genii which it itself had summoned. Has the-Prime Minister unwittingly confessed the reason? Was it that the Government felt it could not "afford" to go on with a duty which proved to be a business requiring courage, it must be admitted, of uncommon order? Perhaps it would be ungenerous to look too closely into the meaning of the word "afford." More than likely, if the Premier had

to select the word again, his choice would fall on one of a less comprehensive nature. Taking its most innocuous import, that the Government might lose the next election if it was too bold, we have the wholly unfortunate result that the Government placed its popularity high above the pressing needs of the country, as demonstrated by the very commissions which it itself had set up. Even this leaves unexplained the failure to place the Civil Service on a fooling more in keeping with the country's means. To do this could scarcely have confronted the Ministry with the penalty of public condemnation. That they would not have increased their popularity with the officials whose services proved unnecessary is an undeniable fact, but the Prime Minister will not wish us to think that the preservation of the goodwill of the servants of the Stale is more to ho desired than fair dealing with the taxpayer. Nor that it is more desirable that a state official should be retained in office when his duties have disappeared than that a small breeze of public opinion should be encountered by the captain in command or the ship of slate. Obviously our legislators have not sufficient explanation for their failure to handle the problem of Departmental extravagance boldly. So long as they show the smallest fear of the consequences, so long will they be held in sub.jccfion by the bureaucracy. They are a capable and clever body of servants and the country lias no ground to complain of the way in which its business is conducted, hut their very ability makes the task of bringing their numbers within the borders of our necessities one for courage and strength. Dread of consequences has no place in an undertaking which grows more pressing as time goes on, and we owe a debt of gratitude to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce for keeping if pressed upon the attention of the Government.