N.S.W. CIVIL SERVICE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1290, 19 November 1896, Page 37

N.S.W. CIVIL SERVICE.

Sydney, Noyombe? 13, Tho report of the Public Service Board contains a severe criticism on the service. By renewing the work of grading- the officers the Board claimed to be able to bring about a state of greatly increased efficiency, and at the same time to effect a saving of something like .£300,000 per year. An excess of officers was a matter of quite common occurrence, and there was a want of concordance in salaries and duties. In. almost all departments, through the working of a system of seniority, men wore pushed up from, the b.ttom to, the top by mere length of service without regard to efficiency. Tho Board found noc a few officers with salaries ranging from .£3OO upwards, whose capacity and exertions would have b.een, amply rewarded with a salary of X l5O. There were other ofiloers who had conceived the impression, which long service and indulgence had rendered ineradicable, that t-!y> pvffil;}

service was nqt a serious oceni\aiiou such as commercial business., and who*wore a source of trouble to their superiors and a pernicious yXampie to inferiors. This, they thought, a reproach to the service generally. Though the vote for the salaries of officers of the service showed no very important expansion during the past 10 or 15 years, the vote for contingencies had been constantly growing, and from this vote the salaries of many officers improperly introduced had been paid. It was, the Board says, a suppose that the evils of the gcryio.e were entirely due to political patronage. That system bad no doubt been the source of many improper and unnecessary appointments, but it was probable that the patronage of high officials was quite as extensive as that claimed, L.y the political heads of departments, and further that such patronage was not always exercised with proper regard to public, interests. There was no co-relation between the office and the salary attached thereto. In all eases, therefore, the. salary was fixed for the office and not for the man. Referring to the .Superannuation Fund, the Board considers that to bring the pensions within the limit of the accumulated fund would involve a reduction of 30 per cent, on all pensions now current or which may hereafter be granted. The Board was of opinion that, as the fund had been very largely used as a means of enabling the Executive to dispense with the service of persons who otherwise might have remained in the service and enjoyed full salaries, there

was a moral obligation on the part of the State to bear the cost of its own action. The weakness of the fund was such that the recent vote by the House of .£IO,OOO would not bring it to a state of solvency, and it would be necessary to reduce the pensions. A reduction of 15 per cent, is what is now proposed.