The Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1948. ADMINISTRATIVE DISABILITIES HERE

Grey River Argus, 21 January 1948, Page 4

The Grey River Argus WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1948. ADMINISTRATIVE DISABILITIES HERE

J’N more ways than one the de-

velopnient of the Dominion public service has been open to question as regards the centralisation of authority. In wartime the process was quickened, ostensibly for military and economic reasons. But it has since exemplified some of the evils apt to result from bureaucracy. Communities tend to be deprived of their traditional initiative. The fact is only brought home to them when they arc from time to time obliged by delays to compare the present day extension of rod tape and circumlocution with the speed and efficiency with which matters of public policy used to be expedited in days gone by. Two notable instances are those upon which the local branch of the Labour Party decided last evening to seek a rectification. The West Coast has in a very recent period been deprived both of a Resident Magistrate and District, Engineer of Public Works. The result is that many things of urgent importance arc held up, and the prospect is that such serious delay may yet be rendered still greater than it is already. It is not so long ago that there were Magistrates resident here, and at Westport and Hokitika,

while regular Court sittings used to be held also at other places, such as South Westland centres, not to mention ones in Inangahua and Buller. Recently the only remaining Resident Magistrate has been transferred to Tiniaru, whence he has a considerable area in South Canterbury to cover, and between times has to give his attention to the Court business of Grey, Westland, and Inangahua. together with licensing business and all the other work falling within the province of a Magistrate, and which, no substitute is available to transact. Amongst urgent matters liable to be subjected to delay are those relating to committal of mental patients, which Justices naturally must hesitate to decide, and adoption orders, while it transpires that documents are now required at times to be forwarded to Timarii when the Magistrate’s signature in cases of urgency. Justices of the Peace voluntarily do useful work, but have their jurisdiction, pretty rigidly limited by law, and in most'instances must simply adjourn cases for the Magistrate to decide. Recently it was so in the great majority of the cases requiring to be heard in Court here. This is false economy, if the powers that be do imagine that it is economical to hold up justice and administration in uch a fashion. Moreover there is the question of whether it is quite fair to the ■ Magistracey. The West Coast is abundantly warranted in standing out for its own Resident Magistrate, the territory being extensive and the. work on the increase.

Equally urgent is the reinstatement of a Resident Public Works Engineer. The most pressing reason is here the. difficulties arising from postponement of decisions regarding works of an urgent nature. It is pointed out that, while there may be the necessary engineering ability available in the district, every decision of any importance is reserved to an engineer residing elsewhere. The local bodies ‘re being thereby hampered. Accustomed as they have been since the earliest days to the presence on the West Coast of engineers with the necessary authority to have works put in hand as required, it is a great handicap when these works are held up until such time as a decision is made at Christchurch. Familiarity with each new undertaking would appear to be an essential for a quick decision, and a lion-resident engineer must tend inevitably to be out of touch, unless he is able immediately to acquaint himself with the circumstances, and if he has a couple of provinces to administer, one or the other is apt to suffer, in the present instance, the West Coast is at a disadvantage, and one which its extensive

area renders serious. The centralisation process has been condemned on many counts, and the two note affecting the West Coast are such as to demand the early consideration of the Government. It is therefore to be hoped that the representations upon which the Labour Party has decided will induce the respective Ministers to rectify the difficulties under which the whole province labours in the meantime.