MORE ECONOMIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18019, 18 February 1922, Page 8

MORE ECONOMIES.

The Prime Minister's statement on the reduction of departmental staffs offers reassuring evidence that the Government realises that the need for economy has not passed with the session. Since the commencement of the financial year 247 officers on the permanent staff and 492 temporary employees have been dismissed. The effect of this has been to bring the temporary staff to a very small compass. It is, however, necessary to point out that the reduction of 247 in the permanent staff does not cancel the increase of 601 made in the financial year 1920-21 and the Civil Service is still very much larger than it was at the armistice. The permanent staff under the control of the Public Service Commissioner now stands at 7J06, an increase ol 39 per cent, over tho 1914 figure of 5081. With every desiro to give the Government full credit for everything it has done to economise, we feel bound to observe that it is highly improbable there is a volume of work sufficient to justify this increase. Many of the armistice and post-war activities are slackening, and the Government must exercise constant vigilance to keep economy in step with the reduction of business. Mr. Massey is to be congratulated upon having made a commencement with the amalgamation and co-ordination of departments. This, as the public Service Commissioner has indicated, is a fruitful field of economy, and should bo thoroughly explored. Tho suppression of the Housing Branch is a good start. This has proved a very expensivo and singularly unproduc tive luxury, and with the modification of the Government's building programme housing may well be left to the care of the Labour Department, It is encouraging also to know that a number of tho recommendations of the Economy Committee are being put into operation, but as the Government has refused to publish the report of tho committee it can scarcely expect this cryptic statement to evoko much popular enthusiasm.