Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY. MAY 22 1917 NEED OF ECONOMY

Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY. MAY 22 1917 NEED OF ECONOMY

It can ba quite understood that what our Wellington correspondent forecasts to-day with regard to questions in the House when Parliament meets next month will not be far astray as regards economical reform?. Ministers are ever busy talking about economy and efficiency, bat sad to relate the heads of the various Departments in the conduct of the affairs of the Dominion pay but little attention to the behests of Ministers. It is notorious that there is a great leakage and waste in the various branohes of the Defence Department. Incidentally there is also great confusion, and it is neoessary time and again to have to refer to the busy Minister himself to have even small matters attended to, so remiss are his officers in attention so even routine business about which a Minister should not be bothered at all. Sir James Allen went out of bis way the other day to lecture the Otago Patriotic Society because they published their discontent with the Defence Department. The remedy Sir James offered was that in cases where satisfaction is not being received he should be appealed to. This will lead to the Minister being inundated with a host of trivial affairs—though important in themselves to the soldiers affected—whioh some lesser officer of the State than a Cabinet Minister should adjust promptly—if the whole of the State mechanism were only running as economically and as efficiently ai they should. Our correspondent refers to-day specifically to the great waste going on in the military camps. This is not B new complaint. It has been in the air siao9 the establishment of the oampß, and unfortunately the obarges are all too true, There is a lack of efficient control—and this though officers seem to be falling over, each other at these camps. In the Government service of latß there is too much of the passing on of responsibility. This feature really is somewhat akin to the go-slow policy. Officers are no sooner appointed to certain positions than they build a staff round them, and go on drawing the salary for the job whioh they have in faot passed on to anderlings who do the work inefficiently, of oourse, for less money, Members of Parliament who go Dosing ioto these matters will find plenty of subjects for interrogations, and we oan quite conceive that Ministers will have a busy time answering questions in relation to the many aspects of waste which will be bronght up. There is a matter which even at the distant outpost is noticeable and is causing much adverse comment. The wanderings of the Medical Boards for instance, round this Dominion, appear to be wilful waste of momy candnoted on present lines, The Board is a fearful and

wonderful thing, and travels by spenially reserved rail vay car ! lta component patts are bedecked in full uniform, and must be regarded as “aoroe sodgers,” as “Pooch” lately hit off the Bwanky elite of military rank when observed by two Tommies returning on short leave from the French trenches. Leas frequent visits of these Boards, and in tabloid quantity seems desirable in the interests of (bat true economy tba Ministry are clamouring for. These Boards ere so numerous that oac follows very close on the heals of the other, and the Member of Parliament who takes up the matter and finds oat what ail this is costing tbe country will bs exposing a leakage which should bs stopped with the lea*t possible delay. It is urgently necessary, too, that some Member should, in the interests of the soldisre, taka up the efficiency side of the clerical staff in the Defence Department. Tbe Government have the advice of Public Service Commissioners aod an Efficiency Boa r d. A fusion of these august authorities directed at official reform where we have suggested, would do a gcra; deal to remove the claraouriogs for a special Minister to look after the soldiers. What ia required is someone in tbe Defence Department with some little sympathy for tbe men who will cut away the red tape of the Department, break through impossible regulations whioh involve hardship and tedious delay, and administer to the wants of the men with some show of earnestness and no lack of Groat economies, apart from tbe prompt justice to bs done, oan be achieved along these lines, and it is pleasing to know that Members of Parliament have made np their minds to assault the-Government on these aspects. The session will be a useful one if a measure of reform is won in the interests of the taxpayers’ pookec and tba personal interests of tbe soldiers and their dependant-', who it must be said candidly do not receive that measure of consideration they are entitled.