THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1849, 8 September 1913, Page 11

THE PUBLIC SERVICE.

A FEW DEPARTMENTS REVIEWED.. TYPICAL SUGGESTIONS. In his report to Parliament, the Public Service Commissioner has a little to say about every Departmental office of tho State, and a groat deal to say about somo of tlieiii. With the working of tho staffs of, tho several offices ho expresses himself as generally satisfied, but ho finds that there io room for labour- and money-moving improvements in matters of detail. Following are a few of the more interesting brief reviews of important offices: — Land and Income Tax Department. In this Department tho methods adopted aro particularly obsolete. Adult clerks are employed upon work which could bo performed as well by juniors. Officers in receipt of salaries above the averago were at tho time of inspection engaged upon work of a primitive nature which could have been as well done by cadets. Tho bookkeeping should bo simplified and machine_ processes introduced wherever practicable. In this Department there is room for considerable economy. At present various matters in this connection are receiving t'he attention! of the permanent head, and no timo will bo lost in bringing improvements into effect. Practically tlie whole of the internal detail requires recasting according to more up-to-date ideas. No method appears to liavo been followed in recruiting tho staff in tho past. Native Department. This is one of the least satisfactory of the Departments examined. For this, however, it cannot be said that the officers aro altogether to blame. In tho first place, they aro distributed over tlireo floors of tho Government Buildings. The accommodation is far too limited, and renders good Work by tho officers almost an impossibility. This Department will require careful attention. Audit Department. Tho Auditor-General, being a statutory .officer, is necessarily privileged to adopt his'own system of carrying out audits. Tho inspection confirmed tho opinion of tho excellent system under which Government accounts aro audited. While the method adopted appears in somo respects to go beyond what may appeir at first sight to bo required, it is obvious that the auditing of the accounts of tho Dominion should be provided for on as liberal a basis as possible. A present weakness appears to bo that the inspecting staff of the Audit Office is so fully occupied with the inspection of local bodies' accounts that the smaller Government offices are not inspected with regularity. Additional staff has been granted to enable this to be dono. It is singular to find in a Depart ment which contains a number of wellpaid positions many officers of short servico who were appointed from outside tho Public Service, whilo deserving officers of long service who have passed special examinations, in other Departments liavo apparently not been considered for promotion. It is, however, necessary .to state that tho selection of officers has been carefully made. Public Trust Officd. Tho work of this Department is carried out in a very satisfactory manner. The keenness, enthusiasm, and personal interest shown by practically overy member of tho staff was specially noted. A great deal of overtime has been worked by the officers during tho past year: but this is being rapidly reduced, and should disappear altogether when tho additional staff recently appointed booomo oxperionfced._ Several plans ' for economising the time of the staff by the adoption of machine processes, and also in respeot of the system of accounts, liavo been brought under the notice of the permanent head, and. it is gratifying to record that the suggestions are being given effect to.