THE NEED FOR ECONOMY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 6749, 22 February 1909, Page 6

THE NEED FOR ECONOMY

Probably there- arb several other departments beside that of Railways in which the expenditure has mounted up during a long course of years without returning any corresponding advantage to the . public (says the ; "Lyttelton Times’’). The Railway Department is easier ,to deal with than the Agricultural Department or the Tourist Department, because its earnings, as well as its spendings, can be easily ascertained; but there is no good reason why a searching examination should not be made into the expenditure of every branch of the-public service. With the creation of new departments a-great number of new appointments have been made, and it is quite possible that. some of these are standing in need of review. It has; been repeatedly stated by people who ought to know the truth that several of the public offices in Wellington are largely over-manned and that scores of the clerks could be spared without impairing the service in any way. We are not'suggesting that these State employees should be turhed adrift to swell the ranks of the, unemployed.- But if there are already more men than are required in the service the Government should suspend making further appointments for a year or two. . The public have no right to expect that four or five hundred young people will be taken into the public service every year, whether they are wanted or not, and we are satisfied that if some of the other Ministers would follow the bold example of Mr Millar they would share in the applause that' is being bestowed upon their colleague.