House Discusses Report by Commissioner

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 220, 16 September 1944, Page 5

House Discusses Report by Commissioner

WELLINGTON, Sept. If. The House of Representatives to-day continued its discussion of the Estimates of expenditure. Discussing the vote of £18,825 for the Public Service Commissioner's Office, Mr. C. Webb said the Public Service Commissioner's report referred to civil servants who had been dealt with because of improper practices. That report gave point to allegations made in some quarters that import licensing had given opportunities for graft. If civil servants were dismissed, permitted to resign, or punished in some other way for accepting bribes, what was done about punishing the parties responsible for offering the bribes? Mr. Fraser said that four officers had been involved in such cases, one a permanent civil servant and three temporary employees. One had had his services terminated and the other three had resigned. Before that was done the flies in connection with the cases were, handed to the police by the Public Service Commissioner. The police investigated and reported that there were insufficient grounds for action. Mr. Fraser said he agreed that those who corrupted civil servants should be punished, but in these cases that was not possible. Such conduct, particularly during the war, was unfair to the country and to all honest civil servants. If there was a scrap of evidence available against those responsible they would be gone after. Mr. W. J. Broadfoot said that restrictions and control always brought abuses, if there was sufficient evidence for dismissals in the service surely sufficient could be gathered to take action against the other party. There appeared to be a desire to keep such matters quiet. The main culprits were people who did the corrupting and the Government should go to any length to punish them. The Minister of Supply (Hon. D. Q. Sullivan) said he concurred entirely that when private enterprise tried to corrupt and debauch the Public Service those responsible should be punished. There was also a strong feeling in the Public Service itself in favour of taking action against those who tried to bribe public servants. Mr. Sullivan recalled his earlier statement to the House that when a businessman from Auckland told him that a man in the textile section was suspected of taking bribes in connection with recommendations for import licenses he (Mr. Sullivan) immediately telephoned the Public Service Commissioner and suggested that he conduct an inquiry. This was done and during the inquiry some of those involved wanted to resign, but were not permitted to do so. They were held to their positions until the report of the inquiry went back to the Public Service Commissioner, who finally decided that at least one man should be dismissed and others permitted to resign. Answering a request by Mr. F. W. Doidge to name the man who was dismissed, Mr. Sullivan said it would be a “bit tough" to name the man over the air. If he had been convicted of malpractice and dismissed it was scarcely fair to brand him to the whole country. Mr. Doidge: It depends on the offence. He seems to have got off lightly. Mr. W. A. Bodkin said the position revealed was entirely unsatisfactory and should not be tolerated for one moment. It was a tradition of this country that people should be tried in open Courts, with the Press in attendance. Nothing could be worse in wartime than a situation which would enable a wealthy importer to seduce underpaid members of the Public Service by offering a substantial bribe which he could easily recoup through a favour granted by the person bribed. He did not suggest that It was common, but there was any amount of unscrupulous businessmen in the country who would do such a thing If possible. Mr, Fraser: I must defend private enterprise on this occasion. I do not think it correct to say there is any amount of such businessmen. Mr. Fraser said that, as far* as unsatisfactory conduct was concerned, there were only 84 cases and it should be remembered that every branch of the Public Service had been forced to call upon all sorts of people to fill vacancies due to war conditions. He considered the result was remarkably good. The majority of cases of unsatisfactory conduct were due to lack of training in the work. The idea that there was any secrecy about the investigation of cases was utter nonsense. It was elementary that a man could not be tried if there was not evidenc of his guilt. If there was anything criminal It would come before the proper Court, otherwise the matter was dealt with by the -Public Service Commissioner, and It would be wrong for any Minister to interfere with the Commissioner’s authority. Ministers must not be the Judges in such cases.