SAVINGS BANK

Waipa Post, Volume 45, Issue 3253, 10 November 1932, Page 4

SAVINGS BANK

DEPARTMENT SEVERELY CRITICISED.

"TIN HATS ON BONE HEADS."

An outspoken criticism of departmental methods provided a lively few minutes at Tuesday's meeting of the ! Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce. jThe discussion arose in consequence ! of a letter from the Hon. Postmaster i General explaining his reasons why [ledger faci ities for the Post Office (Savings Bank could not be provided at Te Awamutu. The Minister said 'that the matter had received further i careful consideration. "As you were informed in my communication ol I August 22nd, savings bank ledger j facilities are being provided only m ! towns having a population of over ! 2000, which are more than thirty 1 miles' distant from centres which al- < ready have ledger facilities. There 'are still to be provided with ledger I facilities a number of centres with a population in excess of 2000 which are j far removed from the chief office or other ledger centre; and in these circumstances it is regretted that the provision of ledger facilities at Te Awamutu is not justified at present." Following a general discussion Mr Warburton termed the Minister's attitude as the most shocking exhibition of departmental ineptitude he had experienced. He went on to trenchantly criticise the department's handling of this matter. Traversing the past, he recalled that the Chamber had made a request, not only for the ledger facilities but for the department's estimate of what volume of ! transaction would be needed to jus- ! tify providing the added facilities for the public. The Chamber had offered to enlist interest and to canvass if necessary to secure at least the amount of business to make the office payable for the department. Could a better or a more business-like offer be made, he asked. It was of interest to note that the managers of the commercial banks in Te Awamutu had been a party to this offer, and the speaker paid a tribute to them for their interest in endeavouring to ! secure the utmost facility for town land district, particularly rememberj ing that the extended local opportum- ! ties desired at the post office here ! must have inevitably resulted in the ! transference of at least some small j credit accounts to the post office. The bankers had taken a very broad view, j and that was a good deal more than ' could be said for the Postmaster Gen--1 earl. The absurdity of the position 'was apparent. Here were the memibers of the Chamber of Commerce of- ' fering to drop their own respective businesses and take up a canvass for j the department. And what, after two j years, was the result—a Minister and I a department saying in effect, "We I don't want the business." Moreover, j the department said it was not a matter of business transaction at all but was governed by population and mileage radius. It would be laughable [ were it not indicative of the absurd regulation-gone-mad mind of those j who controlled public affairs. The I speaker drew as a parallel a request from the peop'e of Kihikihi for the opening of a Te Awamutu business branch there, coupled with a promise to canvass and get the required volume of transaction, and asked how ! many wou'd reply that it could not be } done" because of mileage and popula- | tion For a Cabinet that boasted "more j business in Government" the position i revealed that departmental regulation Us still supreme. Indeed, it could be I said that if this is a fair sample of , "more business in Government" the \ people might reasonably entertain ' doubts as to the control of the couni try's business. j A member said we are evidently gol vemed by the "Tin Hats" of the deI partments. Another member thought it a case of "tin hats on bone heads." Mr Warburton said the Chamber should consider its own self-respect. It had offered to canvass and its offer was not accepted. Therefore the offer should be withdrawn. The department was paid to do the work, and if an offer of voluntary assistance could not be sensed, then it was for the department to do its business-getting work and so have less time for regulationmaking. He moved that the offer to I canvass for business be withdrawn, I and this was agreed to. I