COMMISSIONERS' REPORT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XL, Issue 13172, 4 September 1913, Page 4

COMMISSIONERS' REPORT.

BIG M6^9OT.s l f.orec^^^

(From out^PMlftmehtary 'Rehorter.) , WfiW-INGTON, this day. The first report^f the Public Service Commissioners after seven months work, ing of the- new system contains a, large mass of information as to the state of . tU various departments.' The commissioners' 6pihml,^apredsfed V°^ffi™ > many case- V n B H^i that %hep hold the 1 belief, %hatrthere is wide scope for the , introduction pf f labor-savhrig &s£%""& office routine, and that aft enormous duplication of work' is now going on. ; They estimate .that economies, vi worth _347,0(KHcan be brought into .operation, gome-of theseveconomies, they Jitate, can , be effected at once, but m other cases i it will be a year or more befoWthe i full effect of- aitered- arrangements h can bes^R'. sTt;iis"T\dt5 Tt ; iis"T\dt proposed to dispense , witlTairy offifcersi'who are capable* ot. performing good, wprk, as^it is hoped that with the wastage of the service by resignations, etc., and the general expand there will' be no difficulty m pro-viding-;f or 'officers displaced- The de.tails are. as follows: — v -.-. '..-. ': :■■ Treasury > reorganisation of. arrange- , inWts for imprest advances and.improved wfetliods of accounting, annual_value of £275,000 at 4 percent.; _311,000 annual -saving i' of staff m Treasury r and otiier office* by reduction of duplication of accounts, etc.; &5O0O ; abbliticm^f Ibookbihding- of Treasury vouchers^ £800. 1 .Internal aflairav ; saving "in- staff over a^ebl messengers ,and-v-superamui^ed, places v not to bellied, £1300; saving \ip--' reorganisation'- of sub-depart-metttr^dOy-A":1 "':' V . A, . Stamp ' fDepaxtnient, saving by «ie ut machdries^for stempingi £560.- -. : . land /and .Deeds,. -saving _by use of typewriters for recording, £2000; saving by improved arrangements tor draughting work7J3soo j saving by introduction of new system of records, all department*; -'7 ■)}»'}.. y^Ay-- y RegistratSbn^ of birtiis, deaths, and marriages,*' and elector^., saving -by-plac-ing work ,in{ charge of Oorernment ofli-oers,-[.£isbd: '„...'■_'..'" , t '. Offal Assignee, Christchurch, work to'sibe p6rfoi?n<id by depttfey-Public Trustee £5300.?: Customs amalgamation, etc,, £_6oN Government Insuranc'e^amftlgama,tion vith* Post-office at Oamaru, £200 j Public iTealth amalgamation of 'bkctenological labcrratery, with Wellington- Hospital, £600; mines, position of one m specter /to lapse, on retirement, £565; Tourist^Department; fchwigamation. ot positiortsV £315. •.-.■-.•■' "•-, ....'/>' . Improved methods of performing work m Land and • Income-tax, State-GuairW-teed ' Advance,, , Customs - ' Department, liands -and- Survey Valuation Department^.Public Trußt iOffice^ Eublic Wor«s Department, and Machinery Department, £14,300. In addition to-' these there should he large savings m - the Department cf Agriculture, or what is probably just as hecessafy*' increased efficiency 'i°. t" e amount 'of-'the" savings of at^ least £5000. AMALGAMATIONS NECESSARY. There also appeal's to; be Van opportunity .of economics iri the amalgamation of, certain 'departments -witft -ioithers- possessing I interests - more or less' ■■ iff mon,, and by.the decentralisation already, referred to, J ,as well as the bringing iii -office accommodation more closely into dine with the re/juireriiehts-'of -depatti tnents. :At . ; ther; present time. rentals amounting t0,£292Q per annum, are paid Jforr office j accommodation m Wellington; sand 5t is suggested for consideration ' by ithe Government* that it Would be much ■more profitable to build than to continue to pay. ,sucty. annual rental. , With snore modern -drape aecomm64^ on there would he substanfcial.savfagsa. . .-, «*><- EFFICIENCY OF THE'&S&yiCE, > Although. v there are- several menfc, and-, working rf which are of the. highest. order, .it may, Sbe said brojudly' that the sfervice gener; ally Was : ftdt-f-*ind to bo m So efficient .a stater- aa 4t ihoMJd haye 1 beeh> states tthe report. There is, however, a recog: ttifcion by the Cqmmissicw 3 ? 8 °* enthu_na*ra. m some de^arlftnents, While oh the other hand the report state*., that as a departmeqi. ' mtjst' be fudged by its cam : , fcity to • pwwpiily -carry out -its duties and obligations jto the public, any failure to do this rev«akv. jfeulty management. Complaints^ have -reached the. ; Commissioners of V' the delays wjb^dh, mijjfht' be •avoided', and I 'cah V only cOme 'jt,<? jfche conclusion that- m one or . two ' depar';<ments, whieb,- have'.; -been, speciftljy- pc/erred tp, y Jhe 4©pyenience ofj the piiblte

is not given first place. It is rarely that a member of the public is unreasonable m his demand for attention, and the Commissioners are strongly of opinion that no person a\'lio pays a fee for any serA-ice, or is othei'Avise entitled to receive a service, should have to Avait more than a minimum time for the service to be performed.