ECONOMY NEEDED

Hokitika Guardian, 24 January 1921, Page 3

ECONOMY NEEDED

j | (Lyttelton Times). i The Prime Minister tho other day issued a memorandum to'heads of Departments urging upon them the need I for the practice of economy. That this J action was necessary nobody can i doubt hut it is a serious question whether Mr Massey’s instruction will be obeyed or whether it will be quietly dis- | regarded. We fear that the Public Serj vice has become so accustomed to re- | ceive large amounts of money to spend, and so expert at spending, that it will ’ lie very difficult to persuade those who 1 have the control to change their habits. i f that should prove to be tho ease, and I they do not quickly respond to the I Prime Minister’s memorandum, it will ’ he Mr Massey’s plain duty to use the i word "must.” Indeed, he might rea--1 sonably fortify himself with some com- . petent assistance. A committee consisting of members of Parliament (who j ought to do their duty in this matter | in recess as well as in session), business i men, accountants, and one or two responsible members of the Civil Service might be asked to investigate the expenditure of the Departments and make recommendations as to which economies and retrenchment can he effected. One of the first inquiries should lie into the staffing of the Departments—whether they are' overmanned, and, if so, how much ; and whether there has been a reasonable expansion in the work performed to account for the large increases that have taken place in the numerical strength of the staffs. The “New Zealand Herald” calculates, for instance, that the staff of -the Department have swollen by over a thousand

since 1924 and that this includes a growth of more than five hundred in the last year alone. Unless these increases can be shown to he justified the Government must take the responsibility and the necessary steps towards retrenchment. We often wonder if the Ministers and other authorities ever really examine the public accounts. If they do they must surely he appalled at the situation that has* developed. Let us take for example, the expenditure of the Departments in the last month for which figures have been published, and compare them with the position two years before: —

*Decreases. Some of these jumps are extraordinary and are probably explainable by special conditions, such as the rise in the Post and Telegraph figures, which even Departmental extravagance can hardly account for; while other items are subject to the consideration that the individual responsibilities of certain Departments have been exchanged. But there cannot he special reasons in

respect of all the Departments, and we are sure that anybody who undertook the task would find it exceedingly difficult to show cause for the expenditure of nearly three times as much moneylast November as was found necessary in November of 1918. We submit that on these figures alone there is a strong case in favour of an inquiry,-* hut these are but a few of the unpleasant facts of the situation. The interests of the taxpayers, the credit of the country, and the reputation of the Government demand a quick and large measure of financial reform. Again, we suggest at a starting point an investigation into the staffing of the Departments, to see whether tlu* ship of State lias too many passengers who are passing, and are being paid as members of the crew.

Month of Iue. in. November, Nov. Department 1918 1920 1920 £ ,£■ £ Legislative . 3,948 6,790 2,842 Finance .... 9,693 80,731 71,038 P. and T. .. 24,637 289,448 264,811 Railwavs ... 240,860 447,200 206,400 Buildings ... 3,580 25,314 21,734 Native 1,917 3,140 1,223 Justice 1(5,683 78,579 56,896 Mines Internal Af1,879 2,450 571 fairs Hospitals 28,439 131,678 103,219 A- Health 15,341 37,089 21,748 Tourist 3,850 6,936 3,086 Defence ••• Customs & 14,002 66,352 52,350 Marine ... 10,962* 17,675 6,713 Labour Lands &■ Sur 2,219 3,309 1,090 - rey Valuation A; 5,632 20,079 14,447 Klcctoral .. Cr. 14 2,996 3,010 lAgrienlbtire 32,487 23,996 8,49] Education 135,081 Serv’s not pro278,699 143.618 vided for . 4,174 Or.213 *4,387 Totals f .55,330 1,517,248 961,918