PUBLIC SERVICE ARMY

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1081, 19 September 1930, Page 8

PUBLIC SERVICE ARMY

TOO MANY EMPLOYED? COMMISSIONER SAYS NOT THE SUH’S Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON, Thursday. elled at the public °ser ° 'tha is over-staffed. This criticism •* most instances is based on a mil" u and 9 ene folised assume; t'°n, showing an ignorance of th. exceedingly wide ramifications of State activity.” s 0T In his annual report to Parlian,... presented today the Public Commissioner, Mr. P. Versebkia, makes reply to criticism that ther’ are too many public servants' Th! points out that an ever-persist* mand is made upon government pi tho extension of social and other Jr vices but not until the burden of cost is reflected in taxation is it ised that added service involves creased salary bills. ™ ve * ta"The financial burden of extena. , social services slowly and grows, remaining more or less, scuro and unfelt until, dunm-~ period of financial depression magnitude oi the load fills the' tk payer with apprehension.” savs Commissioner. "Over-staffin'- or s-f cial prodigality are ranted charges to level at the istrauon, for as was stated ' year s report, there is a plain reai,„ lor the presence of every ployed, and any curtailment is matter of organisation, but of ra!, a ernment policy. OovUNPLEASANT TASK "It should be remembered that the unpleasant task of retrenching t c? non-essential and redundant members ?vL th ° ■ s “ r . vlc “ was undertaken durir - the period of economic 1921 At that time the tendered necessary an almost ruthlf-«;< curtailment of all but essential activi ties, and to accomplish this a con-* prehensive survey of all practicable avenues of retrenchment was made bmee then a rigid scrutiny of all requi ltions for new appointments has been made, and consideration has been given to any possible reorganisation of work or readjustment of staff to ascertain whether the filling of anv vacancies could be avoided. There has been a definite curtailment of new appointments, except where expansion of business or newly assumed activities have made such unavoidable. The statistics show that the net increase in the number of appointments during the past year was 148, which was 81 less than for the previous year, while the total classified salaries show a decrease of £6,312, as compared with the previous year.

“In my report of last year.” continues Mr. Verscliaffelt, "detailed statistics were given to show that the increases in recent years, both in regard to cost and personnel, were confined almost exclusively to developmental services, social services, and trading departments; the increases in the purely administrative departments being comparatively small. During the past year just under one-third (47j of the increase in the number of appointments mentioned above is accounted for by additional appointments to the Public Trust Office, due to expansion of business. These salaries do not represent a charge on the Consolidated Fund, and therefore do not constitute a burden upon the taxpayer. Twenty per cent, of the increase is due to the appointment of additional trainees for the school dental clinics, in conformity with the established policy of Government in connection with this important soci-1 service. Seven aappointments arose out of the establishment of a completely new department—namely, the Transport Department. As an indication of tho curtailment of fresh appointments it may be mentioned that, out of 1.734 candidates who had passed tho qualifying examination for admission to cadetships in the Public Service, only 223 were appointed,” reports the commissioner.