PUBLIC SERVICE ACT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 60, 5 December 1918, Page 7

PUBLIC SERVICE ACT

AND THE PUBLIC TRUSTEE'S DESIRE (From "Public Service Journal.") After an experience of more Ilian tivo yearn Ihe Public .Service Association stands for the preservation of the principle of the I'ublic Service Ad as opposed to phlitical or. other inlluence in making appointments to or promotions in the Public Service, but an alteration in tin; method of administration is desired by the sub-litiitinn of a board, inclmlinjr not less than- one mem.her elected by the .service, in place of the present Commissioner .syslem. This is, in brief, the policy of the association on Ihis question, and any aiteinpt, wlidlu-r by fair means or foul, to drsiroy the Act, will meet with strenuous opposition. That the Act is not popular with certain poliliciniH is well known, and Hie reasons for this are understood, but we are now faced with ;l n attack from a different quarter. An extract from Ihe. last annual report by the Public Trustee which has been "printed in the local Press calls fur frailk comment on our part, since H is an attack on the Act expres-ed in »<mieral terms both unfair and incorrect. 11m Public Trustee, who was an assistant. Public .Service Commissioner prior In his present appointment, would appear t<,, have concealed Ins opinion ol' Ihe Act for some five years, but after .-in experience nf several monlhs just past he finds that the Act is ,\ check on the exercise of arbitrary authority, Ihcrefoiv he wouldliavo his Department, removed from Iho coiilrol nf Ihe (.oimnissiuner. In ihis desire he will no doubt have liie sympathy of other permanent heads of .Departments who art; impatient of any restriclion in their official authority, but who have hithwio borne their burden of discontent in silence, knou-iii? full well the unreasonableness of their attitude. '

The Public Trusty says Ihat the delays which have arisen in many cases in junking appointments to his ollice staff liave been voxiitimis and discouraging, and have hindered the development' and added to (lie cost ol' work-iii" tin; Uβpnrtincnt, through the board having been, constrained to nmkt , lemporary arrangements to carry on the work. The inference evidently intended lo be eonvevud is that I his faiill lies with'the Public; hcrvice Commissioner, but tho contention is not siipiwrtr-d by (he further -tatement made in the report Hint JO7 members of the office staff i\ro on aclive service.. The fact of the matter is (hat the J'ublic Trust Office 'shares with other State Department-! the slalT troubles, caused by ilie wnr. asgrnvaied, perhaps, by the legislation 'of last session prohibiting transfers of officers from one Department to another unless tlio Minister in charge of the Department has fiivfru his consent, and this has been used by th(> Public Trustee in his endeavour to belittle.tho Act.' Tic; aim says that "however, suited' Ihe Act may' be to the needs of those general departments where the worl; is niiirc. or less'routine in character and stationary-in volume, us operation in such'a Department as the I'uiblic Trust: Office, whwc vliowork is highly specialised, and complex in diameter, and iiuiiiifesls a rapid and continuous expansion in volume, impedes the safe and efficient conduct of (he Department.'' The comparison is nu less oilunis than tho statement made! 1 is, to put it mildly, absolutely incorrect, but the I üblic .Ivustcc no dou.bt acts on the principle that the end.justifies-the means, i> ml that there-are fm>. - persons in a position to know any, differently. The work performed by ■ Hie Public' Trust Office for its clients is no doubt of great value to (hem, but so fai- as-the general administration of public business is concerned that office'- is of no importance whatever, and Ihe attempt made to "boost" the institution by. belittling the work of olhj;- State--Departments-is, we arc pleased to say, unique in the history of the Service. -By (his it-is-intended lo convey that however important n.nd desirable it is to (he individual with nroperty or means for the Stale to regulate the charges, legal and otherwise, for the administration of estates and work of n like nature, it: is >by no mea.ns essential to the welfare of the community as a whole that the Department should -remain in existence. It is-by this standnrd Ihat Hie importance of the work must be judged. What the Public Trustee seeks is absolute power to 'make appointments to and otherwise control his office staff. If he were granted this power the path would be open to (he exercise-of all Hie influences used to-promote the interests of particular officers. It voiild a)?o mean that the Public , Trust Office door wouM lie closed against , promotion from other Deoartm»»ts, and th'nt members' of the. Public Tii-uet Office staff would lose the right to appeal to the Public Sen-ice Board of Appe.nl in cases where (heir interests were affected, for it cannot be conceived that the Public Trustee would (onsent to subordinate, his power and dignity to the authority of an indeppndenl- hn'bunal. It .would-also n.ip.nn the pstablishmeut of an autocracy within the Department nt n time when autocracies l'Sive been, weighed in the bnlance and. found wanlii'e. But p.part from lh°se reawns the PuMie Service ■.Association opposes any nttemnt lo disrupt the Public Service. Act. and will ftqht strenuously for the preservation of the pwnt safeguards auainst the use of -political or other influence in the Service.