PUBLIC SERVICE BILL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1554, 25 September 1912, Page 8

PUBLIC SERVICE BILL.

IN THE COMMITTEE STAGE. A QUESTION OF PREFERENCE. At 7.30 the Hotiso went into committee on.the Public Service Bill. Clause 31, providing that the commission may with the approval of the Governor make regulations for tho carrying out of the provisions of tho Act, was tho first to be considered. Mr. G. WITTY (Riccarton) moved an additiou to Sub-clause (g), determining the mode of procuring stores: "Provided that preference be given to goods of British manufacture." The Hon. A. L. -HERDMAN (in charge of the Bill) was dubious as to whether the clause might not have detrimental 6r serious effects. The Hon. W. P. MASSEY (Pri;no Minister) submitted as a point of order that the proposed amendment was foreign to the purpose of the Bill, which did not deal with Customs tariff or preference. Mr. CHAIRMAN ruled that the amendment was in order. Mr. G. W. RUSSELL (Avon) argued that, the whole clause was out of place in-the Bill. The Hon. W. H. HERRIES (Minister for Railways) said that the clause dealt only with tho power of making regulations determining tho mode of procuring stores To put in the proviso. suggested would have no effect whatever.' Mr. G. W. RUSSELL contended that tho clause would limit .the power of making regulations, in that the 'regulations would apply only to tho purchase of British stores. He' argued strongly in favour of preference to British goods. Mr. Anderson: Why didn't you give effect to it when you were in power?

Mr. Russell: Oh, why didn't we do it? We were only in power for three months. If we had got over, the first hurdle, the Mackenzie Government would- have given the country the straightest Imperial and industrial policy tho country had ever had. All this talk about industry now is flapdoodle, for the cow-spanker rules the country now. He said he had visited, the wireless station lately,' and found (here a lot of expensive German machinery.' :v-.".. ■—' ; -

xMr. W. C. BUCHANAN '(Wairardpa) said the proviso was not definite enough. To what extent was the preference to be exercised? Deeds, Not Words; The Hon. W. F- MASSEY (Prime Minister) replied to Mr. Russell that one of the first actions of the Government was to secure preference to British goods. "We act, we do not talk. We had not been in office a week," he said, "when we discussed this very question. Wo came to the decision, and gave our instructions accordingly to the heads of Departments and to-the High Commissioner that in every case preference was to be given to Imperial goods whenever it was possible to do so.' Mr. Isitt (Christchurch North): To what extent? Tho Prime "Minister: It is absolutely impossible to makoa hard and fast Title. Ho asked who ordered the German machinery mentioned by the member for Avon. Mr..Russell: I did not. Mr.' Massey retorted that it was the party which Mr. Russell'had supported. Tho machinery was obtained from an Australian firm, but it was probably made in. Germany, and if tho principle laid down by Mr. Witty was practised .its purchase would have been impossible. "So loDg as we are on these benches," added Mr. Massey, "preference will always be given to Imperial goods." ■ Sir JOSEPH WARD (Awarua) denied that, hia Government had not maintained the principle that preference should be given to goads of British manufacture. The Hon. A. L. HERDMAN said he wanted honourable members to understand that all that was before the House was a clause empowering the Commissioner to' make regulations under which stores might bo procured for the Public Services. It was not right that a question of Government policy as to where goods ought to be purchased should be included, in such a Bill. He would not accept/the amendment. . Mr. A. M.MYERS (Auckland East) said he thought the amendment could' do no good, and he could not support it. Sir JOSEPH WARD (Awarua) said the amendment would bo ineffective, but he argued that the Government should withdraw the whole clause, and retain the power to control the purchase of The Hon. W. F. MASSEY pointed out that the Commissioner could do nothing without the approval of tho Governor, which meant, of course, tho Government ° The 0 Hon. A. L. HERDMAN said he was advised that'regulations for tho constant inspection of stores were very necessary, and ho believed there wa9 nothingin the clause to excite concern.

Patriotism and Business. Mr. A. H. HINDMARSH (Wellington South) said tho amendment proposed "an odious form of bounties." This country, which, he-said; was "poor enough, Ilcavcn Snows,".-'could not afford to eliminate competition. We must run our country as private individuals would run their business, and no private business man would buy British goods if he could buy foreign KOod9 of equal quality at a less price. Mr. T. 51. WILFORD (Hutt) said he did not take the view of the previous speaker, but he arrived at the same conclusion. His association with the Harbour Board had shown to him the un-' wisdom of making a definite rule to purchase only from British manufacturers. Mr. G. LAUKENSON said he did not distrust the present Ministry. He believed they were enthusiastically patriotic, but this regulation was for the guidance of someone outside Parliament. Sow was an opportune time to show our patriotism by giving preference to British goods. In answer to Mr. Isitt, The Hon. A. L. HEKDMAN said the clause was permissive merely, and not mandatory. It did not compel the Commissioner to make regulations. He agreed with tho member for Lyttelton as to the necessity for giving preference to British goods, but this Bill was not n proper place wheroiu to provido for it. The matter was not germane to tho Bill. Mr. G. WITTY (Kiecarton) said the discussion had done good by showing who wore the loyal members. The Government had shirked the responsibility of carrving out a little practical patriotism. He "asked permission to withdraw his amendment. Objection was, however, raided by the Prime Minister, nnd the amendment had to igo to the vote. Ik was lost on the voices, ' !Ebb Hon. Ai In MSBMK..njoicd, to..

add another proviso: "Provided always that the Governor may determine and carry' out methods of obtaining supplies other than by public, tender, and independently of regulations framed by the Commissioner under this Act." This was agreed to on the voices. The Postal Department, The Hon. A. L. HERDMAN moved to add the following words to sub-clause (3): —"And no regulation made hereunder shall reduce the annual leave or the amount of any special monetary allowance in addition to salary made to the officers of the Post and Telegraph Deportment under any existing regulations.'" Ho explained that the Postal Department was a classified Department, and that special regulations had already been drawn for it. Ho saw no objection to conserving to members of it their rights under the existing regulations. Mr. G. W. RUSSELL (Avon) moved to add after the words "telegraph" tho words "or any other." This concession by the Minister, be said, was part of the prico to be paid to conciliate the Postal Department. Mr. Isitt: He rewards the contumacious. Mr. Russell argued that there was no good reason for withholding from other branches privileges granted to the postal service. It was surely fair to give equal rights to all Civil Servants under the Bill. Mr. W. A. VEITCH (Wanganui) strongly supported the amendment. The amendment was defeated by 3G votes to 29. A new sub-clause to provide for tho publication of regulations in the Gazette and for their submission to Parliament was passed. When the clause as a whole was put to the House, Mr. G. W. RUSSELL (Avon) took strong exception to the clause, which was very much more extensive in its scopo than any clause in the Australian Civil Service Act. Mr. T. M. WILFORD (Hutt) thought it was dangerous to give the Commissioner power to audit the books and accounts of officers in charge of stores. Nor should there have been any .special concessions to the Postal Department which were not given to other Departments. It was a wrong thing that the Bill should' apply to some services and not to others. He was not urging that the other Departments should be brought within its scope, because he was opposed altogether to the appointment of a. Commissioner. Tho powers of tho Commissioner in regard to curtailing the . employment of temporary clerks would operato injuriously, because temporary clerks were necessary to the efficient carrying on of tho service.

The Bill Defended. The Hon. A. L. HERDMAN said that the hou. gentleman had overlooked the fact that a man could no longer serve for five years as a temporary employee, and so become a permanent employee of the State. This provision had been repealed. Mr. Wilford sdid that ho had referred not to men who were being employed now, but to those who wanted to be employed.. . The Minister continued that Post and Telegraph employees were singled out by the .nature of their employment from officers in other k Departments of the State. He denied absolutely, however, that Public Servants in other Departments would be 'placed in a worse position. It was necessary to the success of the system to be established by the Bill that the Commissioner should bo a reasonable man of business training and experience. If such a man wcro liot obtained the whole thing would'fall to the ground, but he hoped to secure a suitable man as Commissioner. Mr. Herdman contended that a great majority of Public Servants and a great majority of the officers in the Post and' Telegraph Department were in favour of the Bill. He felt confident that when a man, not actuated by any political motive, had been placed in charge of the Public Service tho conditions of officers in the whole of the State Departments would be verv greatly improved. Mr. L. 11.- ISITT (Christchurh North) said that the same safeguards should be given to employees in all departments. \Vhere did the "square deal" come in-for employees in other departments than tho Post and Telegraph, Department. This was a onc-cyed, one-legged partial enactment. The Minister had so little confidence in tho Bill that he was only prepared to protect a portion of the Civil Service from bribery and from political influence. Opposition members had no reason to grieve over the passago of this Bill. It would spell disaster to tho Civil Service, and to tho hon. gentleman on tho other side of the House.

Mr. H. G. ELL (Christchurch South) said that Government members had permitted a monstrous wrong to bo done to tho Civil Service, and none of them had had .the courage to get up and defend the Bill. Government members: Talk sense! On Clause 35, : The Minister agreed to. a proposal by Mr. Witty to strike out 'a sub-clause providing that ■ candidates for admission to the Public Service should pay a fco of 10s. for medical examination. A number of clauses were now passed without discussion. Advertising Vacancies. Clause 39, providing that vacancies should bo advertised in the daily press in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland was amended at the suggestion of Mr. Hanau. Tho amended clause provides that vacancies shall be advertised in such newspapers as the Commissioner may consider suitable. ' At the suggestion of Sir Arthur Guinness, a new sub-clause to bo added to Clauso -11 was amended, to provide that extra clerks in the Legislative-Depart-ment who had been threo (instead of five) years employed should be deemed to be already in the Public Service. Sir 'Joseph Ward and other members objected to Clause 49, which empowered the Commissioner to re-appoint officers who had retired. The Minister agreed to strike out the clause. ' Clauses 50 and 51 were passed without amendment.

Clause 52 was passed with a sub-clause, moved by tho Minister, to the effect that officers of the Postal Department should have preference in promotions in that Department. In Clause 53 tho Minister's amendment to the effect that the Commissioner, in grading and promoting officers, should take into consideration the following examinations passed by officers before tho commencement of the Act:' "The solicitors' examination, tho Senior Civil Service examination, the Junior Civil Service examination, the accountants' examination, the New Zealand University matriculation examination, and such other examinations as in the opinion of tho commissioner are entitled to recognition." Clause 55 was amended to include among the classes of officers to receive three months' notice all officers in the general division. Officer means any permanent employeeClause 60, regulating procedure at inquiries, was struck out, to' make way for a new clause. A division was taken on an amendment by Mr. T. Parata, to extend the scope of sub-clause (3) of Clauso 63, which prevents Civil Servants from engaging in private practice of any profession, by tho addition of tho words "or any other industry." The amendment was defeated by 40 vote 9 to 10. All the Minister's new clauses,were carried on tho, voices, and also one other moved bv the Minister at the suggestion of Mr. Hanan, ordering the commissioner to prepare each year a return of tho number of temporary officers appointed. The Bill was reported with amendments, and the House rose at 1 a.m.

' TAXING BILL. The proposed new scalo of graduated land tax has been embodied in tlio annual taxing Bill, tho Land Tax and Income Tax Bill. Originally tho scale was included in the Land and Income Assessment Bill, tho intention of the Government being to make the rates permanent. Objection was made by a largo section in the House to tho suggested departure from an old precedent that the taxiuj? of land and income should be fixed each session. Tho Minister for Finance consented to this de-siro, and the schedules were struck out of the Assessment Bill, and were reintroduced yesterday. Xo alteration is proposed in the rate of income and ordinary land and mortgage taxation, and tlio scale of graduated land taxation is tlio tajuc as tlut originally .SJ?P£?«4e