THE CIVIL SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 476, 7 April 1909, Page 8

THE CIVIL SERVICE.

AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. IMPORTANT ALTERATIONS PROBABLE. . CASE FOR'THE DEFENDANT. . ' Some big changes in the organisation of the Agricultural Department were prophesied by tho new Minister for Agriculture, tho Hojv T. Mackenzie, in conversation with a Christ-, church roporter. Mr. J. D. Ritchie, secretary for the Department, has been asked to pr£ pare a Scheme for the curtailment iof expenses, but it is pointed .out that 'though tho expenditure of this Department has increased greatly of recent years, there 'laro^several- ; mitigating circumstances;-'■•■ The -,, growth - ; in salaries, it is stated, has,not' been common-' eurate with tho increase of other"'charges caused by new developments "of ,the Department's work. The. appropriatidri^'for , ''salaries of this Department, as , set o'ilt'in the , ' , latest Estimates, will" not be fully expended; though 'the, surplus will bo devoted to "other expenses;' for which sufficient allowancewas..not made , .' 'Jho appropriations provide'.for 40' inspectors I .' of dairies, but only 25 have been appointed.' Out of six farm for it is understood that only two have been appointed, and the position of "organiser of agricultural experiments and lectures," ■■ for which £400 is set down in'the Estimates, re-; mains unfilled. ' -. '"' T: ' P Again, many amounts aro credited to the Agricultural Department in the appropriations which it is claimed should rightly come under.general loans. Examples areas follow:' .Grants to A. and P. Associations,' £475 f , contribution to International ; Agricultural' Institute,, £250; 'grant; •■'.'to";" Motueka , I'ruitgrowers' dx>perative Society, 1 Ltd.,' in ;''connection with a- shipment of apples'.|o London, £120, contribution- towards'printing report'of the Conference-of-National Dairy Association,; Palniorstori North;'£2o; subsidy to National Dairy■ Association; - £200; collection c« agricultural - and pastoral statistics (formerly done by Regis-trar-General's Department), £4000; destruction of. rabbits' on Crown and Native: lands (more , properly, it is held, a charge-upon-tho iarids and Survey and Native Lands Depart- , ments), £11,300. Other amounts might easily' bavo been debited to the' Public ■■•Worksaccount. "Erection and repairs of buildings" at,':the experiment farms and poultry; farms have formed a considerable item -of the year's ■ expenditure, • which-' will ■ :notneed; :to be repeated.' .In * respect of the Milton poultry farm, 'for example;: an, amount of £1000 is set down in the appropriations, under • the heading ■ poultry farms and buildings, , including purchase of birds and-materials. It is expected -that next year the income from this , farm■ -will far , exceed the. expenditure. The allocation of' £3000 for "preparing poultryofor export" is one , that has been severely criticised; on; the' ground that the dimensions of ;the export'trade in'poultry do' not nearly'justify such "an 'expenditure. It-is explained, howj ever, that the amount really covers the preof poultry for the local' market, as well as for- shipment "beyond''the . Dominion, and fees are received for > this -part of the work.- The salaries of the meat inspectors under the Department are largely defrayed by fees which they receive, but the hemp and butter graders are a charge np<jri ; the' Department,' for which there Is no such_compensatid£ At the sanie" time, the services of these officers are''considered to be of great importance to the Dominion's export trade. .; • • '

On behalf of the Department, ■ it -'is urged that when allowance is made' for expenditure, which ought:to come under other ac-\ counts, and .for initial expenditure in the way of purchase .of land, construction' " n M buildings, etc., which l will not hare'to bo Tepeited, no great room is left for the curtailment of expenses, unless the ' useful functions of the Department are to'be much HS' In regard to laM VNfld toons *t6 '* ■Tauranga Experimental' Stffion, , '£lloo, ,> -ahd other -similar''appro:pnatwns, it is stated that the land"couldbe resold for the same price tb-mbrrow.v H' is probable that a few very small ■divisions' of the Agricultural Department will be abolished, but- beyond that it is impossible to say _ at ■ present what will' be done. : As far as individual positions are concerned, it is improbable that very, much information will 1 be .forthcoming for a'month; at least/ ! ' The Prime Minister has been photographed' with the Wellington staff of the Agricultural Department, before relinquishing its charge'' to Mr. • Mackenzie, so that the staff will have mementoes of his brief control'of "their official destinies. '■ "■ • ■ ■<>'■■