NOTES OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 14, 11 October 1919, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY

.Recent discussion in and out of Parliament on the subject M Public Service control has elicited a satisfactory 'assurance from the Government that the Commissioner system will bo retained. ft has at the same time gone far to demonstrate that there is no case for abolishing the. Public. Service Commission, while there is much to be said for perpetuating it- with such amendments as experience has shown to be advisable. Even Sir Joseph Ward has admitted that ho does not want to revert to the old system, He said, it is true,; when the question was discussed in the House of representatives. on Wednesday night-, that lie did not-think there had ever been much political interference with appointments to the Public Service, but the fact is well established that political influence was formerly rampant in such matters, and that its exclusion under the administration..of the Commissioners has been an enormous benefit. As to the conditions that formerly obtained, the. Hunt Commission, set up bv. the Mackenzie Government in 1912, reported that:

One of tho great difficulties of tile prosent condition of affaire, according to the. testimony of responsible! officers, is that influence is-'-constantly being brought to bear through members of Parliament in connection with appointments, ; removals, and promotions, and any Minister or Cabinet miist find it difficult to resist such inflronces. Speaking a couple of weeks ago 011 behalf of a deputation _ from tht! Public Service Association, which interviewed .the Prime Minister, Mr.. W. M. Wrighi. alluded to the demoralising effect of former conditions under which it was possiblo to pull politic&l strings, and added: . . . We say, with the full knowledge of experience which close touch with our members has given us, that, apart from all 'other considerations, the average Public Servant. ■ to-day has more selfrespect and more legitimate independence than ever was his lot before, due mainly to the fact of centralised and uniform control, together with n right of appeal against non-promotion and decision affecting an officer's interests. .Plain evidence is hen; afforded that _ a great and glaring evil of political influence which formerly existed has been stamped out, and this alone ought to preclude any thought of abolishing non-political control of the services..

As arrangements stand, the present Oivil Service Commissioners arc to rotiro next year. Time is thus available in which to consider the modifibation of the existing system, and no doubt the whole question, _ including the matter of new appointments, will stand over until after the election.' A very important change, and_ one that seems well entitled to consideration, has been mooted by the Public Service Association. It urges that one of the three members of the Board should be elected by Public Servants. Whether ah elccted representative of the Service should be given in all respects full membership of the controlling board may be on en to question, _ but the idea of giving its working membcrfa voice in .the control of staff organisation has a good deal to commend it.

Oxe point in the Government's proposed housing scheme which calls for commendation, is tho proposal to extend the, benefits of the, scheme to people of larger incomes than arc provided for under the existing law. The idea now is to enable any person with an income of £.100 a year to take advantage of the State assistance in securing a home, and this limit is to be extended in the case of married people with children. This is a marked improvement in the law as it now stands, for wages and salaries all round have increased substantially in recent 5-cars without the recipients in many cases being very much better off so far as the purchasing power of their income is concerned. But why should the limit be fixed at incomes of £300? Why should people witli incomes of, say. up' to £400 be debarred from State assistance in securing homes of their own? It is true that a limit must be drawn somewhere, biit the man with a family whoso income docs nut. exceed £-100 finds it quite as difficult nowadays to get a suitable home of his own as a man with l\alf his income did ten years ago.

When he was questioned by Mr. B. A. AViught, M.P., about the erection of the new railway station in this city, Mr. Massfa' gave a reply that was much too vague to be satisfactory, "The desirability of commencing the work mi the new Wellington railway station." he said, "is fully recognised, and it is intended to put it in hand as soon as normal conditions are restored and funds, materials, and labour are readily obtainable," This is more like a collection of loopholes than a promise to take such early action as the case demands. When, if ever, the highly desirable conditions postulated Prime Minister will he restored it is impossible to say, but the construction of a new station in Wellington .is a work of pressing urgency, and ought to lie frankly recognised and provided for in that character. The urgency of the work was admitted before the .war—it had its .place in a programme of railway improvements which, according to the late General Manager of Railways,,! ought to have been completed before now in order to enable (lie railways to cope with transport demands.

A. young soldier who too'; lip a bush, farm in tno JCing Country says that it is not all lavender till «nn gels properly jnlo the. running of things (reports tlio Auckland "Star'). He thinks there is more to Irani in bush farming tlinn in any other department, of life. He took up tlio place in iino weather, and the surroundings'looked lovely, but since then the gales and tlio rain have come, and a different, story-could be fold. Amongst his losses ho mentions that two cows died through eating poisonous leaves, two were killed by lightning during a recent; storm, while two more,.with a young bull got through the back boundary fence, and have wandered awaj' into, the bush, and will probably never bo seen again, although ho has spent it whole week in searching for them. Pioneering lifo lie thinks is full of incident, and it tests the size of n man's heart and his capacity for doing things.