THE OTAKI MAIL WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1930. ECONOMIES IN PUBLIC SERVICE.

Otaki Mail, 27 August 1930, Page 2

THE OTAKI MAIL WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1930. ECONOMIES IN PUBLIC SERVICE.

Mr. iVT. Downie Stewart has suggested with, an artlessncss which is not likely to please the Government that an independent commission of business men should con duct investigations lor the purpose of ascertaining whether the -Government has, as it claims, reduced the cost of Departmental Government to a minimum. Mr. Dowm; Stewart does not. think the Government 'has done so, and many other critic* think so too. They have not been convinced by protestations from Parliament to the contrary, and an investigation conducted as suggested by the exMinistcr of Pinanee would probably result in some interesting it' not embarrassing revelations. The Prime Minister has economised it is true, but in a way in which no complications having unpleasant consequences for the Party will follow. Ho has checked expenditure by lessening the liberality of the grants to the public from the. various departments. This method is satisfactory for the purpose of successful budgeting', but it does not attack the main problem of Public, .Service expenditure. It is easy for Mr. Stewart to criticise —his past experience is sufficient to qualify him for an attack on excessive cost of administration. He knows the position the Government is in, and he knows the quality of courage and statesmanship that would be necessarv to improve it. The fact remains that the Public Service has been so carefully nourished and nurtured as to vbe a thoroughly spoiled child that it has SO powerful a hold on the Dominion's political life, that a Government /with normal concern for its own welfare can scarcely afford to alienate it. These facts do not free the Government of any obligation to take action more particularly when at this time it has been so loudly expressed that economy -in public and private life is the •keynote. It is right that the Dominion's political leaders should endeavour to direct the course of public action. The best wnv of doing this is by example. The New Zealand taxpayer has to economise by reason of the fact that, incomes are now much smaller. The Government though asks for more revenue—why 1 it has the power of forcing compliance by Statute. This is not just, however, if tin.' Government fails to furnish, proof that it too has not economised fully in the same way as private trading concern--, and individuals have to do. There is ample evidence that the cost of public administration is excessive. In travelling ex-

penses .alone the bill was nearly a quarter of a million sterling last year. Many Public Service red-tape and other methods would not last two minutes i" a private concern. A commission ol business men would soon show the way to eliminate waste if the Government were reallv sincere. The avenues of waste should be stopped, but it will require selfless political courage not often possessed by Governments in this country to commence the erection of the stops in these avenues.