THE ROAD TO ECONOMY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18454, 16 January 1922, Page 4

THE ROAD TO ECONOMY.

We have discussed in another article one aspect of. the of a policy of retrenchment in the public service. Another aspect is forced iijito pro-, minence by the fact that .the Government, having hesitated too long to effect' real, economies, is now driven by force of necessity to ; the -adoption of measures that will be air the more •drastic because they" have been deferred to a. thug, when inaction would be dangerous. .The policy which is proposed will be contained in legislation that, will be /submitted to Parliament this week. Replying last week to certain criticism of such •, retrenchment as has already been practised, Mr Massey said, logically enough, that the Government had to Choose between a substantial reduction in the number of public servants' ahd a considerable curtailment of the salaries. Apparently, it has now made its cornice. As will be observed in a' message which we publish*, this morning, Cabinet considered the matton on Saturday, and Mr Massey is credited with having subsequently foreshadowed the introduction of legislation which will provide for far-reaching reductions, in the salaries of members of the public service. ,He is even said to have assented to' a suggestion, based on rumour, that these reductions would bring the salaries down by about onethird. This announcement, which admits, of more than one construction, certainly harmonises,, with Mr Massey’s statement in the House as to what would be necessary “if the Govemmtent were to keep all publio, servants in its employ.” While* it would be premature to attempt to discuss the Government’s'proposals before these have been precisely disclosed, the implication, however, that they will involve reductions in. salaries amounting to 33 1-3 per cent. is . somewhat startling., If Mr Massey has not been misapprehended on the point, it must be inferred that he has come f c the conclusion , that reductions —even drastic reductions-—in salaries are preferable to any further diminution of the personnel of £ke public service. Does that mean that departments which are patently over-manned are ,to be allowed to pursue the even tenor of their way rather than t|iat tl% Government.shall find resolution enough to curtail their .dimensions-so as to bring them into keeping with the amount of business they are required to transact? Eetrenchment is an unpleasant bnsiness at the best, and must inevitably be (accompanied, as we have elsewhere remarked, by , a certain amount of hardship. But this will scarcely be kept at a minitmim by reductions in salaries, indiscriminate as well as rpthless, while the factor of the maintenance of ;efficiency in a dissatisfied service has also to be considered. If the intentions of thp Government havp been accurately reflected in the rumours which are current in Wellington, and which seem to have received a certain amount, of official confirmation, there is room for doubt as to whether it is going quite the. right way about effecting the economies which are- absolutely necessary.' 1 . ' ' ■■■■■■ '