Feilding Star. THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1884. The Civil Service.

Feilding Star, Volume V, Issue 27, 6 March 1884, Page 2

Feilding Star. THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 1884. The Civil Service.

We learn from our telegrams that the Government has at last made a first step in the direction of the re-organi-sation of the Civil Service. Messrs Seed, Batkin, and Cooper have been appointed to make enquiries and report on the steps necessary to be taken towards the reduction of the Service. It will be in the memory of most of our readers that a commission, of which two of these gentlemen formed the principle part, went over the whole of the Colony some few years ago, and after examining and reporting on all and several, from the humble washerwoman who scrubbed the steps of the Magistrate's Court in an obscure diggings township, up to the — well, we, nor anyone except the Ministry of the day, ever knew to what heights the examination went, but this we do know, that nothing was done or attempted to be done as a result of all the time and money which was wasted on the most quixotic expedition ever authorised by a week-kneed Government which attempted to legislate by the reports of commissions. Judging by the past, the same termination may be expected to this as to the former commission, It is rumored that the Audit Department is likely to be closely examined into. While we agi*ee that there exists in this Department a lot of useless red tape, and an amount of very unnecessary work is created thereby, we would be sorry to see any attempt at reform in a system of audit which we believe is as near perfect as possible. When it is considered that the persons who would suggest, or who would have the working out of any changes, are Civil Servants who have had to wince under the lash of the auditor during the whole term of their service, and naturally bear no good will to a system that has often proved irritating and troublesome, the danger of ruin to the whole fabric is apparent. Fortunately the Public Kevenues AcL makes the position of the AuditorGeneral unassailable, and we do not think the country would put up with any attempt to make the audit responsible to the Ministry of the day instead of to the whole House. If it is determined to have economical Civil Service reform, let the pruning begin at the head of the tree. The number of Ministers could with perfect safety be diminished, or if this is not practicable, let the emoluments of their respective offices be reduced, and so on downwards. But the greatest reform and the one hardest to effect will be to deprive Ministers of the power to dispense patronage. Until that is done real reform will be impossible. The service of the Colony should have prizes for talent and ability when exercised by those in its employ, as well as other services, such as the Banks or Insurance Offices. As it now obtains, the contrary is the case, and to get on in the service of the Government a man must have influence direct or indirect. If a man knew that by diligence and trained intelligence his future advancement was secure he would not only do his utmost to work well in the present, but would be a cause of industry in others, and thousands of pounds now paid to lazy and incompetent clerks would be saved to the country.