PUBLIC SERVICE.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19156, 12 November 1927, Page 16

PUBLIC SERVICE.

COMMISSIONER CONTROL IS SCHEME A FAILURE ? ! [THE PRESS Special Serrlce.] WELLINGTON, November 11. J The system of commissioner contrc i of the Public Service came hi for som criticism in the Legislative Council tc day in the course of further discus sion on Sir Robert Stout's motion ad vocatinrr the establishment of distri«c councils as a means of effecting a re , duction in the cost of local govern ment. The Hon. Mr Gow expressed tin ■ opinion ' that the system of commis i sioner control of the Public Servic< , should not be adopted permanently Before there could be any marked im i provement in the Civil Service, then must be a reversion to the old systen of Ministerial responsibility, instead o. delegating responsibility to an outsidt body. That would be a jxpve in the right direction, and he believed i< would lead to economies being effected Sir Thomas Mackenzie said he had opposed the system of Public Service Commissioner control from the start. He believed that if the Leader of ths Council were to express his inner opinion in regard to that system of control, he would say that as a result ol the appointment of commissioners we had lost our grip on the Public Service. Sir Thomas said he had always maintained that a Minister should be responsible to Parliament and the country for his Department. There could not be the same responsibility under substituted authority, such as that of 'commissioners. Investigation had shown that wherever that form oi government obtained, patronage was transferred from the Government to the heads of Departments, and thorough investigation was not possible. The debate on the motion was again adjourned.

The Bill was then reported, with amendments, read a third time, and passed.