The Dominion. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1909. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 609, 11 September 1909, Page 4

The Dominion. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1909. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

We have consistently advocated the elimination of the element'.of political favour from the working of .'our Civil Service, and this as well in the best interests of the Civil Service itself as of the country at large. In one article in particular we specially quoted the methods of the English Civil Service as worthy of imitation. . As this subject has since taken a very fijm and increasing hold on the public mind, it may.not be amiss to give more details of the Home system than we have yet done. Prior to' 1855 all appointments to the English Civil Service were made by nomination, that is to "say, through influence, and without any educational test. This interest or influence, however, was never, to quite the same extent as with us, a matter of politics and votes. For instance, many a clever scholar from Oxford or Cambridge, destitute of influential connections, obtained a nomination because of his achievements 'and thrbugh a recommendation from the head of his college. Neither the politics of the individual nor of his sponsor were prejudicial,' or indeed relevant, to the application. It was sufficient to the appointing Minister that the applicant had distinguished himself at the. Minister's own or the sister University, or : at Trinity, Dublin. 1 The Public Service did not suffer by appointments .such as these. But the nomination system, as a. whole, did not work well. It was inevitable that political influence should be used to obtain appointments; for' unsuitable.: persons,' and ' this became particularly apparent in the lower grades of, the.Service. Accordingly, by 'an Order-in-.Council of May' ; 21 r 1855, three Commissioners were appointed for the purpose of "testing, according to fixed rules,' tho qualifications of the'young men who may from timeito time be proposed to be appointed to the junior situations'in any of (Her Majesty's civil establishments," and these Commissioners ' havo over since liceii known as the .Civil Service Commissioners. 'They hold , office during the King's plcasuro, which is tantamount, to saying that ..they hold it for life. They are- appointed by the Government of the day, and they are always men of high character, recognised position,, and distinguished culture. They are' often Civil Servants, and they obtain 'the. position because of their previous public record. ' Party politics have little Qr nothing to do with it. , It is obvious from the duration of. their- appoint; ments alone that these Commissioners are absolutely: removed from all risk of-poli-tical pressure. l ■Sir;, Joseph, Ward has; never _ yet attempted to seriously answer and : disprove the case. for., .this ,rpformj and in this.he is,''wo think, wise." He has contented himself 'with the vague assertion that' 'Commissioners are an irresponsible .autocracy. Either Sir Joseph is ■simply ignorant'of the subject, or else' he has 1 deliberately ighqrcd' tlje.' (facts. Np assertion could, be - wider of ( thd'' 'tjnith. The Commissioners, aro. riot '(or (They simply ;, .administer certain fixed ' rules and' regulations contained in a; number of Ord&rs-in-Co'iincil, and, ih all that-they do they are subject to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury; that is fo say, the , Premier, the Chancellor: of the Exchequer, and' the three Jiinior, Lords .of the Treasury. There, rules,' etc.,. cannot, be altered, repealed, or'suspdnded either by the Commissioners, or by .an imperious or, unscrupulous Minister, but only by an Order-in-Council. : Inform,• the Commissioners act under tho direction, of the Treasury. In substance, save as regards finance, .all 'initiative rests with the Civil Sorvice (Commissioners, Thoy suggest and advise. 'The , Treasury approves. In matters. of'firianco the Treasury takes a more active part. The main feature of the rules - and regulations is the jealous care taken of the', public'interest, to the extent'that, save as regards high-grade Foreign Office appointments; and certain others calling for special technical knowledge (in these the nomination system still holds, for obvious reasons), no candidate-shall be admitted until he lias passed the qualifying examination of his class,- and ,has. satisfied the other requirements as to : age, character, arid health/ After this, he'still has to serve a probation of two years for the'.Upper Division, or one year foy tho Lower Division, before he is -finally placed on the . permanent establishment, i Another feature is, the impossibility of a Minister interfering with or controlling thp decisions of the Commissioners or the chiefs of Departments. .A' third is in pleasing contrast:.to the New; "Zealand system'which Me. Hebdman, M.P., is seeking to reform. Instead of promotions emanating from a - Minister who does -not :know. '.the! merits, they all . emanate from, and in many cases are actually made by, the chief of the Department, who does, know. Promotions, not made by the latter, aro mado by the Commissioners, who, of course, are : largely' guided by them. Indeed, throughout the Departmental chief plays ' his : proper par);. No . probationer is passed off probation without his certificate. No promotion goes 'without bis certificate.' No annual increase of salary oven, ..or l rise from one' grade to another, takes effect without his certificate. ' And, finally, merit, and not Btrict seniority,: is the governing factor in promotion. We, require a system that will ensure, as far as is possible, that only men. of the highest character and ability can attain to positions of Responsibility in the 1 Public Service. In England this has .been successfully done for many years by means of classification. . Tho. English system, with modifications," could no doubt be" adopted here with advanta'go to the country, and with advantage to the Service. Under it the man of ability and honest'work-knows that ho must como to the. front. -Ho becomes 1 more than over a willing and satisfied worker, and assuredly tho best. interests of the country will benefit thereby.