The Dominion. FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 1911. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1203, 11 August 1911, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 1911. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

The discussion which, took place in the House of .Representatives yesterday afternoon on Mr. Herman's Civil Service JReform Bill is not likely to have any immediate results) but it will serve a useful purpose in keeping before the public a very important question. We- do not think there is any real doubt in the mind of anyone who has thought about the matter at all that tho power which the Government possesses of making appointments to the Public Service is used at times to serve political purposes. No one, we believe, can honestly say that political influences are not exercised to secure appointments to the Public Service and also to secure advancement in the service after appointment. These facts are almost universally iccogniscd. There may be an element of doubt, however, in the minds of some as to the extent to which tills power of. patronage is wrongfully exercised and also as to the best means of remedying what it must bo clear to all is prejudicial both to the welfare of the employees of tho State and to the interests of the public. So far as the first point is concerned there are numerous instances which might bo quoted of unsuitable and improper, appointments which can be pointed to as illustrations; but the best evidence of the state of things that has grown up in the Dominion is the almost unanimous opinion of :the public that the first essential to securing a position in the Uovernment Servico is to obtain ,thc backing of someone who has political • influence with Ministers. This opinion can be heard given expression to daily—it is recognised as the most natural thing possible that a man seeking a position in the Public Service should trust more to the influence he can exercise t thuugh a member of Parliament or some prominent friend of Ministers than to his own personal qualifications for the post he is desirous of obtaining. No doubt many of those who secure places in the Public Service in this way possess the qualifications which arc necessary to enable them to cany out the required duties in a satisfactory manner; but on the other hand many do not.possess the necessary qualifications and the standard of efficiency of the service is lowered by the inclusion of these incompetent political appointees. But perhaps even more harm is done by.the prevalent idea that advancement in tho service , is also largely influenced by political considerations. It must have been' pretty obvious in recent years that many, perhaps tho majority of those public servants who have received any marked improvement --in status or in salary, have been the men who have been more or less openly currying favour with Ministers—State employees who take up the attitude that they are the servants of Ministers, not the servants of tho State. It is not necessary to enlarge upon the evil effect of this state of affairs upon tho Public Service of the country—it must be obvious to all that whatever the personal opinions of Civil Servants on political questions may be, they have no more right to allow those opinions to influence them in the performance of their duties and in their attitude towards the public than a police officer has to put forward his personal friendship for a law-breaker as an excuse for notdoing the duty lie has pledged himself to this country to faithfully perform. It is in some respects a ronmrkablc -tribute to those in , the employment

of the State, that despite the dcmoralisiiig conditions with which the service is surrounded, the general standard of ctliciency is as hitrli as it is. We have no doubt that a very great improvement could be made in Departmental methods by (lie introduction of business ideas aud up-to-date systems employed by large commercial and business firms; but it is not an easy thing to bring about a change in the business methods which have grown up in Government Departments anywhere. "What,has been must be" appears to be the generally-accepted motto; and nothing short of a full investigation by a joint commission of Departmental heads and outside business experts would be likely to have any effect in securing any material changes. But that aspect of the matter is really beside the question under discussion. If it. is conceded, and we have not the slightest doubt that the majority of the public will concede it, that admission to the Public Service and advancement in the Public Service are largely influenced under existing conditions by political considerations, the question of the best means of remedying this state of things is at once raised. Mr.- Herdjjian in this connection puts forward his scheme to place'the Public Service under the control of Commissioners independent of Ministers, but fully responsible to Parliament. This system has operated successfully in Australia and elsewhore, and we have not the least doubt that if introduced here would prove a,vast improvement on the existing 'state of things. It is rather a pity that Mr. Herdmax, in explaining his measure to Parliament, should have occupied so much of the brief time at his disposal in pointing out the evils that have developed under Ministerial control. They arc so widely known now that he might well have confined himself entirely to showing how far these evils would be checked under Commissioner control. Mr. ILvxan, one of the critics of the proposal, quite reasonably pointed out that even under Commissioner control grievances exist in Australia. No doubt this is the case. JMo one expects—no sensible person at'anyratc—that any system of control will be perfect. We do not look forward to a Civil Service millennium with Commissioner control, but we arc quite confident that, should . the change be decided on, there would be a vast improvement in the lot of the honest and self-respecting. Civil Servant and that the Public Service of the country would be placed on a vastly more satisfactory footing. . '

It will be said—it has been said— that Commissioners would have their .personal friends just as Ministers have them and that there would be favouritism in consequence. That is quite possible, but even conceding this possibility there is absolutely no comparison between the position of Ministers and that of tha Commissioners. Supposing the Commissioners did allow personal friendshin to influence them: putting the position at its worst it must be quite obvious that this could not affect any material part of the service. Ministers, however, are quite differently situated. It is not merely the personal claims' that are mado on them. They arc besieged with requests—they are subjected to pressure from innumerable directions — not on personal, but on political, grounds. Their existence is largely dependont on their ability to please or pacify tho battalions of billctseekcrs and place-hunters who look for' reward for political"assistance rendered to Ministers or the supporters of Ministers. And the Public Service in consequence is a dumping ground for many of these clamorous people whom Ministers have never scon and who, but for the political influence they can exercise, Ministers would never heed. It is ridiculous to attempt to compare the risk of personal favouritism under Commissioner control with the existing conditions of personal and political favouritism under Ministerial control. But one of the greatest safeguards of Commissioner control is the fact that Ministers • themselves would be one of the principal checks on favouritism or any improper departure- on the part of- Commissioners in the performance of their duties. Ministers being relieved of the power of making .appointments and _ granting advancement in the service would bo freed from the persecution of the demands of their political supporters to find billets, and would then have no other incentive than to see that the Public Service was placed on a proper footing and so maintained. They then would have no incentive to do other than study the public interest. Why the whole situation would bo revolutionised. All appointments to the Public Service would be on merit, by examination; the members of the service would be freed from the worries and anxieties which are inevitably, associated with the present political control -with its accompaniment of tale-bea,ring and favouritism; there would be no incentive for the secrecy and hushing-up of Departmental matters which at present prevails, and Parliament, witli the powers which it would possess 6ver the Commissioners, and guided by Ministers unhampered by the demoralising influence of party considerations, would, for the first time in nearly 20 years, be the real master of the situation and able to insist that tho public interest should be faithfully served. Mr. Herdji.w's Bill may requite amendment in points of detail, but he is on the right track and before long he will have behind him a body of public opinion so strong that it will be impossible to resist this urgently-needed reform.