COMPARATIVE CIVIL SERVICES.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1973, 21 June 1880, Page 3

COMPARATIVE CIVIL SERVICES.

To the hditor of the Globe. Sib,—The Civil Service Commissioners' Report states that 10,853 persons are at present receiving pay as G-overament servants. The statement is a startling one for the taxpayers. Americans consider themselves a muchly governed people, and were all but in arms when it was proved during the last presidential election that there were 80,000 personß on the Civil Service list. Their condition in this respect, however, when compared with our own, appears a most enviable one. When the extent of their territory is taken into account, and its population of forty-five millions, their complaint of being muchly governed ia simply nowhere. In view of the apparent decapitation policy recommended by the Commissioners with regard to the Civil Service list the following deductions will bear, perhaps, a little digestion : Taking round numbers for it, the United States, with a population as above stated, employing the above number of persons holding Government "billets" gives a result of one paid public servant to every 562 of the population. Now, the population of this colony is stated to be, say 450,000, including Maoris, from which figurea I find, taking the above number of paid Government individuals, we have one public servant to every forty-one men, women and children in this colony. Is it any wonder we are swamped with debt, and is it any wonder the Commiasion think reductiona ought to be made ? Tours, &c, ECONOMIST. [Our correspondent haa perhaps hardly attached sufficient importance to one of the opening remarks of the Commission to the effect that " they have put an extended interpretation upon the term Civil Service, and have included all persons employed and paid by the Government." We are far from saying that the Civil Service in New Zealand ia not very much overcrowded, but we cannot help thinging that the 80,000 American oivil servants do not include all employed and paid by the American Government.—Ed. Globb ~\ The following letter appeared in this morning's issue of the " Press " :