THE CIVIL SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 528, 8 June 1909, Page 6

THE CIVIL SERVICE.

Tuehe is an aspect of 'the Government's' scheme of retrenchment which demands the earliest possible attention of' Parliament. On all hands thu Government is being praised for good intentions. Even those who are , not blind to tho fact that it is in part its own misdeeds that the Government is endeavouring to undo ai'o disposed to forget the offence in view of the repentance. There is some reason to fear, however, that.'the vices of the patronage from which tho country has suffered during the past decade arc being perpetuated even in the work of retrench' ment. It has already been noted in our columns that the manlier in which the selection of officers , for dismissal has bceii carried oiit makes it'impossible, to believe that either .wisdom or fairness has been the guiding motive, of the Government. We hear of unmarried men escaping at the expense of married men, temporary clerks of no ; standing and little experience preferred to temporary clerks of longer service and greater competence. Froin. other parts of the coun> try similar reports ate Coming in. In tho circumstances, it is impossible not to feel that the .favouritism which operated to bring the service into a'condition which lias' rendered drastic : economies necessary in the interests of mere national solvency is again operating in tho selection of the victims of misgovernment. Sonic of the transfers of the higher officials have obviously been inspired by the desire of tho Government to find billets for friends ,who have rendered good service to the party or friends' whom the Government feels that it must, as a matter of duty'to tint Joseph Ward's predecessor, take good care of whatever happens. So far as the rank and file are concernedj however, it is only possible to guess, frqm facts which can bo obtained, at the full extent of tho" influence which political favouritism is having it tho perpetration of further injustices.

Since tho chief work before the tieW Parliament is the guardianship of the

public interest and of honesty in politics —a work that Was largely neglected by .the hist Parllanient4-ho time should bd lost.by members in obtaining the fullest possible information as to what the Government has done, and what it has intclided to do, .in the matter of reducing the j Civil Service. A complete return (should be domanded in which will b() shown the name, the salary) the position, the length'of service, and tho personal state (as to marriage) of every officer' in the service, together With a. full list of those who have received notico of dismissal. With that information before it, Parliament, we bolicvc, will have littlo

difficulty in determining whether injustices have been or. are being done. It is notorious that instead of leaving tho fo-' arrangement of' staffs to the absolute discretion of the Departmental heads, tho fihal dooision is kopt in their hands by Ministers'. Ministers cannot possibly know for themselves which officers should be dismissed. They do.know, hoWcVcr, which. Of the officers are their frionds, or thoir fvicltdß* friends/ Tho public is oiv tircly distrustful of the "retrericlimchfc" scheme. In. tho first place it seems apparont that the Government has not, eVcn now,: any clear and complete view of

what Should be dono in tho double interests of economy and efficiency. In the second place it is quite certain that what is actually being dono' requires investigation: . ~ . : '..■•■'■ Tho present is a favottrablo time for tlio exercise of pressure by the Reform Party to establish tho only system which can. protect the public from the abuses of political patronage. Under a Civil Service Board, we should not have such a state of things as wo are ho* witnessing. Until we lmvo a Civil Service Hoard,, independent of 'tho Government;. and responsible only to Parliament, wo shall never be free from Corritptioh in the appointment of Civil Servants, Wo know tho reply that the Governnich.t Will Snako to the advocates of a Civil Service Board. It will be said—it has boon said—that it would bo a gravo wrong to hand over tho service to & board of irresponsible despots Who would be actuated by favouritism; Such an assertion as that is an insult to the public's intelligence. In tho first place tlio Board -would have no incentive to corruption. Independent of votes, it would ntit be required to placate political, friends, and supporters. Independent of tho Govcrnriiont, it would bo able to encourage freedom of conscience in the service. Indifferent to politics, it would relievo the Civil Servant of any obligation to regard the Government of tho day. as his bmploycrV The suggestion that the . Beard would be autocratic is of doilrsfc absurd. The Board woUld be responsible to Parliament, just as are our Judges and the Aiiditor-Gonerat. Instead of tho ultimate control of the eorvicc resting vin the hands of the ment of the day, to which the preservation of its powers and perquisites is the most important of all considerations, tho ultimato control would be held by Parliament. The question is one that should be brought Up in Parliament without delay, in order that the country may see tho attitude that the Government will adopt. Greatly as lib may dislike losing a powerful political weapon, the Prime Minister, we believe, is sensible enough to realise that the strong public sentiment for rcforiri must prevail.