IS THERE WASTE?

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1924, Page 5

IS THERE WASTE?

PUBLIC SERVICE EXPENSES BIG BILL FOR TRAVELLING. MINISTERS ANSWER CHARGES.

(By Wire—Parliamentary Reporter.) t Wellington, Laet Nigkt. , A suggestion that too much ia paid. , in the travelling allowanaM of departmental officers was made by the dor t of the Opposition (Mr. T. M. Wilford) in the Houae to-day. Mr. Wilford eaid that the travelling expenaea of the f various departments, excluding transfer ! and removal expenses, ran into no lean than £184,275. It would require s £3,700.000 to he Mt aside at 5 per eent. , to meet those experuea. He thought It was time for an overhaul and that the . heads of departments looked into the t matter. That sort of thing must atop. Mr- O. Hawken (Egmont) said there . was no evidence that ofieera were omcbarging in their travelling exponent. , Civil servanta had complained to him f that they were not paid sufficient lor t travelling aHowanaan. r Mr. L. M. laitt (Christchurch North). r as a member of the Public Account* 1 Committee, stated that he eould assure , Mr. Wilford that the matter had not l been overlooked by th* oommitte*. . Every head of department had been before the committee and full inquirte* , had been nude as <o whether or n*t i the expenditure on travelling eMdd nn* s be reduced. The committee had b*M t ensured that everything would be doo* . to keep down expenditure u far as wa* consistent with efficiency. Mr. S. 0. Smith (Taranaki) thM|*t J that lower paid officer* abettM r*e*ire more in travelling allowances. He did . Mt suggest that they should be paid i ££ a day like judges, but that tb*y should get sufficient to cover their out of pocket expenses. j The Hon. G. J. Anderson (Minister for Labour) said he could not altew Mr. Wilford’s statement to go with . out some explanation. AU inspectors ’ in the Labour Department had to tassel. Mr. R. McKean (Wellington South): “Their district! are too M f .” Mr. Anderaon Mid that if th* districts were reduced ia aise the iafiMctors would still have to travel. Th* Minister stated that an amendment to the weights and xneaeures law had Involved an increase In travelling expenses. In the Inspection of machinery department the fees paid were now almost balancing the travelling expenses. Inspectors of mines had to travel, otherwise there might be explosions which would kill large number* of people. It was quite useless for the Leader of the Opposition to collect all travelling expenses and put them into a lump sum, obviously for political purposes. The Hon. Sir R. H- Rhodes (Minister for Defence) stated that economies effected in his department meant that there were few officers and non-commis-sioned officers who now had to travel from point to point instead of beirg permanently stationed at drill The Hon. W. Nosworthy (Miniatef for Agriculture) said that members cried out for more inspectors and instructors and that meant more in travelling expenses. Every item in the department he controlled was strictly scrutinised. If officers of the department remained at headquarters members would complain. The expenses ho 4 been got down as low ns possible, especially since the retrenchment scheme had been put into operation.