THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1922. THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18016, 15 February 1922, Page 6

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1922. THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

If any further evidence were required that Parliament and the Government have failed to come to grips with the vital issue of economy it is supplied by the annual report of the Public Service Commissioner. It is unfortunate that the latest figures given in the report relate to the staffing of the Public Service as at April 1, 1921, because there has been some measure of retrenchment since then. Nevertheless the expansion shown is so great as to raise moro acutely than ever the whole question of the staffing of the various departments. The following table shows the numbers of the classified officers under the control of the commissioner as at April 1 of each year since 1913, together with the total of salaries paid:—

The need for economy certainly existed in 1920-21, yet the staffs of the departments under the Public Service Commissioner—not including the Railways Department, the Post Office, school teachers, police, or heads of departments—increased by 601, the greatest numerical increase since the commissioner took control. Between 1913 and 1921 the commissioner's staffs showed an expansion of no less than 58 per cent. The figures for the various departments are as follows:—

In regard to temporary employees a considerable pruning is shown in the report. The number reached a maximum in 1919, standing then at 2089, but had been reduced to 583 in 1921.

The Public Service Commissioner makes a very conscientious attempt to analyse the cause of these increases. The reasons given for them are six in number, namely, additional duties necessitated by new legislation, increased business, war and post-war work, improved working conditions, creation of new departments, and the adoption of a policy of building up a junior staff. The reasons are not wholly satisfactory on the surface and they appear less so when studied in relation to the departments showing the largest increases. Generally it may be said that war and post-war work has greatly diminished, that few of the commercial departments are doing more business than before the war—the Railways and the Post Office are actually doing less—and that the creation of new departments has in most cases been wholly unnecessary. Some of the increases are actually due to the lack of foresight of Ministers and the inefficiency of the Legislature. The reason given for the growth of the Land and Income Tax Department's staff is the frequent amendment of taxing legislation, and it is pointed out that changes were made by the following measures, the Finance Acts of 1915, 1916, and 1917, and the Land and Income Tax Act of 1920. The inference is that if tho Government had adopted a larger policy in respect to taxation or cast its- taxes in a simpler form, the cost of collection would have been less. The excuses —they can scarcely be called reasons —offered by some of the departments are curious. Thus the Internal Affairs Department prides itself on having taken over all the messenger and charring services, but the other departments are dumb about the relief thus afforded them. The Labour Department justifies an enormous increase on the ground that it has been building houses and inspecting boots, and the Department of Industries and Commerce speaks vaguely of its large investigating staff. The failure of the State housing scheme and the return of something like normal conditions in business clearly mark these two departments out for severe retrenchment, and if the Government has not insisted upon the reduction'of their Btaffs it should do so now. At no time did post-war conditions in New Zealand justify the expansion of the Civil Service by 58 per cent. The Government has doubtless offected a considerable contraction during the past ten months, but there is a widespread suspicion that the service is still over-staffed. Mr. Massey can allay it only by issuing a supplementary report bringing the figures of the Public Service Commissioner up to date.

Indeed, the chief need, if public I confidence in the Government's [economy programme is to be restored, is frankness. l ' l A committee appointed by the Government has prepared what is apparently a very full and valuable report upon the Public Service. In the words of the commissioner, the committee " went

very fully into the work of each department and has suggested several means whereby expenditure may be considerably reduced and new or increased revenue obtained." Yet fcho Government has been foolish enough to refuse to publish the report of the committee. Two further quotations from ' the Public Service Commissioner will show how indefensible this secrecy is:—

A question for consideration by the Government is the reduction of nonremunerative services performed foi the t'.iblic, and the institution of adequate fees in regard to other services which are not self-supporting, This matter has been referred to in detail in the report of the Economy Committee.

Economy may be effected in the direction of amalgamating departments and securing greater co-operation and coordination between departments. Tho growth of separate departments has twirled to largely increase expenditure without commensurate advantage. Another tendency, and one which should bo avoided, is that of departments to acquiro special expert staffs, notwithstanding that such expert assistance is in many cases available from other departments. . . . This matter is fully dealt with in tho report of tho Economy Committee.

These extracts suggest that the Economy Committee made recommendations of great practical importance which the Government may or may not be adopting. The withholding of the report is totally unjustified. As a matter of tactics it is a grave blunder, and it is a breach of the constitutional practice followed in the United Kingdom and other British countries. What are the functions of Parliament if not to consider and take action upon such recommendations, and under what authority does the Government presume to treat as confidential information which affects every taxpayer in the country 1 The principle involved is so important that we trust Mr. Massey will acknowledge the wisdom, even at this late hour, of publishing the report or at least such portions as are of an impersonal character.

Year. Numbor. Sakriea. £ 191.1 .. 4.641 874,437 1914 .. 5,081 951,667 1915 6,613 1,098,960 1916 .. D,985 1,158,949 1917 6,'217 1,208,979 1918 .. 6,'JUi ' 1,231,433 1919 . . 6.-J10 I.431.724 1930 .. 6,752 1,614,251 1921 ,. 7,353 2,088,229

Department. 19U. 1921. Increase Agriculture .. .. 427 503 76 Audit 60 110 60 Crown Law .... 9 7 2* Custoraa .. .. 226 SO'.' 64 Defence .... 83 117 34 Education . . .. 248 322 74 Externa! Affairi .. - 5 5 Health . . .. 66 281 115 Immigration .... 6 13 7 Industries and Commerce .... — 33 33 Internal Affairs .. 287 581 294 Justice .. .. 215 221 6 Labour .. .. 66 126 60 Land jnd Deeds .. 97 J 64 57 Land and Income Tax 72 135 63 Lands for Settlement 3 4 1 Land* and Survey .. 438 648 210 Marine .. .. 173 190 17 Mental Hospital* .. 632 633 1 Mines 46 57 11 National Provident.. 18 42 24 Native .... 64 66 22 Native Trust ... — 10 10 Peneione .... 27 88 61 Police .... 6 5 1* Printine and Stationery 308 316 8 Prisons 142 202 60 Public Service Coinmias oner's .... 15 25 10 Publio Service Superannuation .... 5 9 4 Public Works .. 531. 679 148 Stamp Duties ... 33 88 56 State Forest .... — 80 80 Tourist .. .. 126 159 33 Treasury .... 65 76 21 Valuation .... 92 114 22 Govt. Insurance .. 138 132 6* State Coal .... 53 39 14' Publio Trust .. .. 204 625 421 . State Advances . . 63 55 2 State Fire Insurance 56 101 45 Totals .. .. 5C81 7353 2272 ' Decrease.