PUBLIC SERVICE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 30 April 1934, Page 7

PUBLIC SERVICE

THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE CRITICISM AND ADVICE The compulsory educational qualifications for entry to Ilic public seivice in New Zealand, and the qualifications on which an officer might obtain tlie highest position, in the service, were described as woefully inadequate” by* Pro lessor A. U. 'l'oeker, in Lis inaugural address to tlie Public Service Administration Society at Christchurch (reports the [“Press”). Professor Tucker described what were commonly taken to he some of the faults of tlie service, especially in its training for administrative positions, and outlined some of tlie means fiv which he considered these might be overcome. Air (:. <L S. Ellis, who presided, said that the society existed to assist officers in the problems of administration and departmental management. It hoped to foster the establishment by the university of a clmir of lectureship in public administration.

LARGE PART OF COAIAIUNITY

The public service was an important group in New Zealand, said Professor Tockcr. The lf)2li census showed that there were 80,000 public servants in the Dominion, 45,000 of these being Government servants, and the remaining 35,000 servants of local bodies. This meant that one in every 7.3 of the breadwinners in the census qualification depended on the public service for income. At present in every country the field of Government control was increasing, and naturally the personnel was increasing. This applied in New Zealand as well. It was to the. interest of the people of the country to obtain tlie maximum of efficiency from the service, which must cost a great deal. At so low a salary as £IOO a year public servants in New 7 Zealand would cost £8,000,000 a year. The public service also had great responsibilities. Its mistakes had been costly to the community in the past. It was difficult, of course, to distinguish between the public service and its employers —the general Government and local governments —but public servants were called on to advise their employers. At the same time a great deal had been done by them to save expense to the Government and the community, which was too often not recognised.

NATURE OF CRITICISM Criticism of the public service was common, but a great deal of it was misinformed. Nevertheless there were some grounds for criticism. The Government had ultimately to stand the blame, but it could be tremendously hampered by poor service and helped by good service. There was a big difference between the public service and business. In business competition provided a drive to efficiency, progress, flexibility, initiative, and so on—a drive which was difficult to find in the public service. It could obtain that drive only from the spirit of service, which was easily “squashed.” Common accusations against the service were that it tended to routine, to red tape, and to stagnation, and to in-breeding in personnel, training, and method. Professor Tockcr then quoted at length, as an illustration of the type of charges made, from an investigation made in Australia 20 years ago. Parallels to these charges, he said, could be found in New Zealand. However, there was another side, he continued. Ho knew that there were some first-class men in the public service, but he thought it would be agreed that not all the members of the service were the best men. Among 80,000 persons there was bound to be a wide divergence in efficiency and energy — some “passengers” were bound to be carried.

MEANS OF IMPROVEMENT The question was whether the sheep'could be separated from the goats. Were the grading and classification systems working satisfactorily to that end? In the teaching service, of which he had some experience, he had never known them to be anything like satisfactory, and he had seen inspectors fail to distinguish between first class work and bad work. Sometimes it was because the inspector was incompetent, and sometimes because he was unwilling to take responsibility. This had to he faced. It had to be possible to observe merit and to reward it. Methods of improving the training of public servants had to be considered. He considered that age of entry to the Government service in New Zealand was from 15 to 18 years, and that the educational qualification demanded on entry was the matriculation examination. With this qualification and nothing higher it was possible to obtain the highest position in the New Zealand service. TRAINING IN SERVICE Further training was supposed to come from performance of the duties of the service. But this could only be stereotyped training in doing certain routine things in routine ways. Knowledge of alternative wavs was necessary. One of the most valuable agents of progress had been said to be the scrap heap. There could be no real progress unless it was possible to dcrap ideas and methods as the necessity arose. A training within the service, such as this, tended to get every thing down to a dead level of mediocrity. Certainly some higher qualification was at present attainable within the service—by those who took professional examinations in accountancy, for example, or who took degrees. But accountancy was not the last word in training for administration. The British civil service was recognised as the best in the world. The key to its pre-eminence was recognised as being in its method of recruitment to the administrative division. For this young men came in at ages between 21 and 21 on leaving the universities and after sitting for a competitive examination. A quarter of those in the division came from the ranks of those already in the service. Up to the age of entry they devoted the whole of their career to getting the education and mental training. Within the division there was no promotion

on mere seniority, and there were means of side-tracking men who were not considered suitable to go higher. As a result men reached the highest positions at a comparatively early age. BASIS OF SELECTION A few years ago a British! official had visited New Zealand to see what could be done towards getting young New Zealanders for positions in the British Colonial Service. He had sought, not men with specialist training, but men with general ability, stipulating that above all he wanted “the university type.” A great deal of importance was placed on personal interview. For administrative work there could be no complete formal training. Things that were wanted were the capability of mentally marshalling facts quickly and cogently for practical action. Free use of the mind was necessary, and for this a developed and trained mind was necessary. This could no more be developed without training than it was possible to\ play football well without practice. Also wide knowledge was wanted, and particularly of what were termed the human studies. Here the training given by the English universities was specially suitable. In New Zealand it was not possible to go so far as in England, but it was possible to follow those methods, and go some distance in the same direction. A course providing for the study of administration, of economics, of finance, of modern and economic history, of English and psychology, and with

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the addition of statistics, accountancy, business administration, and economic geography had been suggested by an Australian authority. GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS The best method of training for such a course would be to take students after they had graduated in one or other of tho faculties of the university, so that they would acquire the drill and the habit of study. Afterwards they could specialise on the diploma. The society suggested that a diploma course ■ should be provided in New Zealand, and it was proposed to give 10 lectures in public administration at Canterbury College. Such work required real study, but it was impossible to make a man unless he had the material in him. There were men who could pass any examination at all, and who were yet good for nothing else. The practical ability required in administration could not be created, but if it already existed it could be developed. 11l conclusion Professor Tocker said that he had required to give some idea of what public administration meant in other countries, and of what he thought it might mean in New Zealand. Tho society had come to him. He thought that he had indicated the direction in which progress might be made. It depended on the members of the society whether they travelled on it or not. QUESTIONS ASKED Mr A. L. B. Ross said that he thought New Zealand was too small to follow the British system. Of the members of the administrative and professional divisions of the New Zealand public service 25 per cent, laid passed university examinations. Professor Tocker: “I feel that the

presnet compulsory standards for entry to the public service, and the qualifications on which an officermay obtain the highest posts, are woefully inadequate.” He added that- he thought it would be possible for the society to get the university to, put ’bn a diploma course. Then it would be possible to see how best to go on. The idea being discussed was one which must develop slowly. Mr J. H. Robertson, who; moved a vote of thanks to. Professor Tocker, said that conditions in New Zealand were different from those in Britain, and the methods adoptedthere might not be suitable in tint Dominion. If the society could enlist the' sympathy anti advice of such men as Professor Tocker its success was assured.