Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1926. THE PRIME MINISTER’S DEPARTMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 45, 22 January 1926, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1926. THE PRIME MINISTER’S DEPARTMENT.

While the “Standard” is decidedly adverse to the creation of new departments of State, and is of the opinion that the Public Service is already far too heavily staffed and is costing' the country more than its circumstances warrant, it feels that the Prime Minister has made a very wise departure in establishing a Prime Minister’s Department, under the able direction of the gentleman, who has for so long been so intimately associated with the Prime Minister's office, and, in that capacity, enjoyed the confidence of two of our greatest Prime Ministers —the late Right Hon. W. P. Massey and the late Right Hon. R. J. Seddon, as he is now also enjoying the confidence of the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, M.C. It has been given to no other servant of the State to fill such a large sphere of service as has fallen to the lot of Mr P. D. Thomson, C.M.G., and in view of his experience it may also be said that no other member of the service could fill so capably and well the new office which Mr Coates has wisely created. We say “wisely” because it is indisputable that Ministers generally, and the Prime Minister in particular, are called upon to perform so much detail work, and to sign so many documents which could very well be left to the permanent officials of their respective departments, that it is high time a change was made in the system which, with the growth of Time, and the multiplication of offices, has become far too burdensome for Ministers who are at the head of the several Departments of State. Those who are more intimately associated with the work of the Ministerial offices are well aware of the exacting duties required of Ministers in signing, or countersigning, papers, with the contents of which thejr possibly have only the slightest acquaintance. The late Mr Massey, who never spared himself in the execution of his' duty as Prime Minister, was called upon, again and again, after long and strenuous hours of work, to put in further hours of weary labour signing the multifarious papers for which the red tape methods of the departments over which he presided required his signature. On former occasions the “Standard” has urged that the Prime Minister of the day should be relieved of departmental responsibilities, so far as administrative work is concerned, in order that his time and atten-

tion. could be devoted to tbe more important matters connected with tlie carrying but of tbe policy of tbe Government, and in acting as tbe adviser of bis colleagues in tbe performance of tbeir duties. Like bis immediate predecessor in tbe Prime Minister’s office, tbe late Mr Massey, Mr Coates bas proved himself “a tiger for work.” In tbe discharge of bis duties as tbe Ministerial bead of tbe Public Works, Native Affairs, Post and Telegraph and Railways Departments, Mr Coates appears to have lived and thrived upon work. Comparatively young in years, as politicians go, Mr Coates entered upon Ministerial duties in 1919 full of life, energy and dynamic force, and tbe permanent officials of the departments be controlled know—none better—that, like bis great chief, Mr Massey, bo never spared bimself. But with new and more onerous duties and responsibilities confronting. him, now that be has stepped into bis late chief’s shoes, and been confirmed by tbe popular will in tbe occupancy of tbe Prime Minister’s office, be bas come to see that, if be is to perforin bis duty to tbe country and tbe Empire, efficiently and well, he must devote tbe whole of bis time and attention to tbe higher and more important affairs of State, and that if be fritters away bis time in attending to departmental matters, tbe direction of which can well be left to tbe permanent beads, bis usefulness in other directions must be greatly curtailed. But, quite apart from matters of domestic concern, Imperial relationships demand closer and more detailed attention, an Imperial Secretariat bas become an actual necessity of tbe situation. Tbe Dominions, as tbe London Times points out, occupy (i very different position today to wliat they did in 1914. They stand on a footing of perfect equality with tbe Mother Country, and it is necessary that they should be (as they are) kept fully apprised of happenings affecting tbeir interests. That is being done by means of what tbe Times terms ‘‘continuous consultation between Britain and tbe Dominions,” without which ‘‘the doctrine of equality of status becomes unreal, almost meaningless.” Tlie Prime Minister’s Department is being established, we take it, to relieve Mr Coates of much routine work, and it may be boiled, also, of many of tbe unreasonable demands made upon bis time by people whoso requests could be equally well dealt with by other Ministers. It bas become more and more tbe custom of late years for deputations to insist upon going to ‘‘the fountain bead” with requests which could, and should, be dealt with by Ministers in charge of tbe departments affected. Mr Massey’s days were frequently occupied by long series of interviews and appointments, many of which were of a trivial character, while, in other cases, the deputationists or interviewers had to be referred to other Ministers whose departments were affected by tbeir requests. Mr Coates bas made it clear that be does not wish, under tbe new (.procedure, to become less accessible to tbe public in bis capacity as Prime Minister than bis predecessors in office, but be wants to secure more efficient and direct service between bimself and bis colleagues, to be more at tbeir disposal for consultative purposes, and to also maintain more direct touch between bimself and tbe Imperial authorities.