MR. FISHER SPEAKS OUT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1515, 10 August 1912, Page 5

MR. FISHER SPEAKS OUT.

THE PUBLIC SERVICE, BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA. PAST ABUSES AND PROMISED REFORMS.

Addressing tho members of the ITonst of Rftprcsenlalivos in the Fimiucial debute last evening, the Hon. I'. SI. J). Fisher announced Hie inauguration of a new era in (ho administration of tho Public Service. Incidentally lie insula public some facts which throw interesting light upon tho methods of Administrations which have been, superseded.

Mr. Fishor asked Mr. G. W. Russell; who had opened tho'debate for tho Opposition, whether ho disagreed with , the proposals regarding tho Civil Service, miula in tho Budget. It was there promised that provision would be made in tho Civil Service for tho encouragement of merit and for a'uniform regulation of salaries, holidays, and other matters appertaining to tho good government of the service. There Would l>o no more granting personal and political favours to certain persons in tho Government Departments. Did tho lion, gentleman suggest that the Government ought to continue the system by which Cabinet had decided that all tho business of a State Department in a certain town should be given to one man,, to tho exclusion, of everybody else? This was an actual Cabinet decision. lie had nsked the head of the Department to lot him see why Cabinet had como to this decision, nnd the file could not bo found. It had gone astray. It might have been accidentally lost, perhaps. '

Records Misplaced. Mr. Fisher continued that it was a coincidence that when matters of this sort cropped up, the- records, unfortunately, were misplaced. Sir Joseph Wind: What town and vjmt firm? Mr. Fisher: I will give the lion, gentleman (lie information, but I don't want to mention names. Well, ij! tho hon. gentleman wants to know, it was his own Administration. The firm was that of Macalistcr, lawyers in luvcrcjirgill. Instructions were passed by Cabinet that ■all business in connection with the Government Insurance- Department should Ijo given to that one man. Tho head of tlio Department has written to me, elating that this is not in the interests of the country, and that tho restriction ought, to be removed. , I have, communicated with, thp head of the Department, and told, him that he is to run tho Department as a business concern, regardless of nil political considerations. I asked for the papers containing tho Cabinet miuiUc, and they could not be found. I ought to tell the hon. gentleman that the file has been lost in the Premier's office. Tho hon. gentleman line asked for information and ho Ims got it. That sort of thin? lias to stop. It cannot gon on any longer. Tenders cannot bo received by tho Gov ernmont in secret. Wo are* not going to call for public tenders, accept whichever one wo choose—-without any publicity whatever—end rensw it' from time to time, to tho complete satisfaction of 0114 particular firm. Thet sort of thing hai got to stop.

A Promiso of Fait , Play. Henceforth length of service will hav« to be taken iuto consideration in the Civil ■ Service. , Tho mere fact that a member of the Public Service- is relatckl to eomo person iu tho.House or Cabinot is not going to weigh any longer with members of tho Administration. It will no longer-bo'tho cast) that ono civil servant can go out of this country and get leave on full poy, while another man going put of tho country can only get leave without pay. That policy, is. going to stop. Special consideration will no longer bo given to any person on account of birth or lineage or anything else, (Hear, hear.) A number of members opix>sed to us, I know, will bo terry to hear that wo are determined to carry those things out. They thought that.when w<l camo into power the first thing we would do would be to put a rope round; oiir, necks and hang ourselves. The part}' has come in. with every ono of its members determined to do tho right, proper, and square* thing, and to give overy man a fair and square deal. If we are to be succeeded by another party in the near future, I can only say that I hope that wo shall bo succeeded not by aparty full of bitterness and anger at having lost tho power of distributing tho spoils of office, but by a- party of national aspirations which is prepared to do the best thing for tho country at all coste and at all times. (Applause.)