OVERWORKED MINISTERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1413, 13 April 1912, Page 4

OVERWORKED MINISTERS.

The Hon. T. Mackenzie is not lacking in a sense of humour, and it is a little surprising therefore to note his pathetic complaint to the good people of Manaia concerning the dreadful strain imposed upon Ministers by the work attached to their office. The picture he drew of Ministers struggling along bravely under the tremendous burden of their official duties was really quite touching until viewed in conjunction with the performances of the members of the new Cabinet since their recent elevation to office.

A Minister of tho Crown, said Mr. Mackenzie, had to be continuously working. There was no cessation, because travelling had to be done. On the train and on tho steamers it was all tho same. A Minister had no time to he sen-sick. "The public life of this country," he continued, "is being reduced to an absolute absurdity." Year by year tho work of Ministers was increasing, but there was not «u increase in tho members of tho Cabinet. Tho result was that tho work was not as perfectly done as it should be, but if anybody suggested an increase in the.number of Ministers a howl was at once raised, protesting against tho increased expenditure. Some Ministers not only had to look after the expenditure of three or four million pounds, but had to control two or threo Departments as well. "I say," he went on, "it is impossible for them to overtake the work. If good work is to be done, Ministers must havo sufficient time to do it in."

This is really very amusing. The Ministerial idea of work apparently is anything that , a Minister may choose to do in an endeavour to retain office. Why, for instance, if Ministers are so over-worked, should the Phijie Minister be accompanied by two of his colleagues, Messes. Russell and Laitkenson, at'the outset of his banqueting ancl electioneering tour through the Taranaki district'! Ancl why should Ministers be rushing all over the country banqueting and so on, instead of making themselves acquainted with the position of affairs in the various Departments which have just been placcd under their charge'/ The public of course will have no difficulty in supplying the answers to these questions.

The Prime Minister stated that "year by year the work of Ministers was increasing, but there was not an increase in the members of the Cabinet." _ Mr. Mackenzie has again fallen into error. When Ballance took oflico his Ministry consisted of eight members. To-day the Mackenzie Ministry comprises ten members and another—the Leader of the Upper House—has yet to be appointed. Eleven Ministers in a House of 80 members in a country with a population of just over a million ! The Commonwealth _Government consists of only nine Ministers, two of whom hold honorary offices, and the population of Australia is over 4J- millions. In Canada, with a population of over 7 millions, with a Parliament of over 200 members, and with an enormous territory to govern, there are only fifteen Ministers; while the South African Union Government, with a House of 121 members and a population of over 5 millions, consists of only 10 Ministers. And yet Mu. Mackenzie wants to add to the ranks of his Ministry and swell the cost of government in this comparatively small country. If Ministers attended to the duties of their office instead of wasting their time and energies rushing about the country bidding for votes, not only would they find that the complaint of overwork was a groundless one, but there would be a very material saving ii the cost of government, and the work would be much more efficiently and satisfactorily done.

No doubt we shall be told that it is necessary that Ministers should travel about to ascertain the needs of the country districts. Even admitting that it is desirable that Ministers should occasionally travel, there is not the least doubt that the task of forming an opinion on the merits of claims put forward by settlers and others would be much more satisfactorily done if left to an expert officer of a Department than it is when left to a Minister lacking , expert knowledge, and influenced 'all the time by political considerations. Moreover, the travelling about by Ministers is so grossly overdone that

it is absurd to attempt to disguise the fact that party intorests rather than the interests of the country are the main consideration in view. If tho new Government thinks that it is going to strengthen its position by admitting the incapacity of its members to do what is being dono by other Ministers practically the world over, it has a very curious idea of how to win public confidence. No doubt Mb. Mackenzie would like to

1)3 in a position to placate sonic of tlic disappointed members of the "Liberal" party by taking them into his Cabinet, but the burden of the cost of government is_ already oppressive enough. He will have to find some other means of pacifying the rejected aspirants to oflicc, for neither Parliament nor the country is likely to lend a sympathetic ear to any proposal involving so unwarrantable an expenditure of public funds.