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Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1924, Page 2

Ont Wellington correspondent last week discussed the political situation, having special reference to the threeparty system. In particular, reference was made to the three leaders, all of whom, it would appear, are not considered the ideal leader. Mr Massey has been on trial over a long term, and has worn, on the whole, very well. He has served his own party in particular very well, and any party objection to him is probably because lie has now come to assume dictatorial airs, and the team rather resents the domination. Certainly in his own party there is no member who could take his place, and do as well for the party as he. has done. Mr Wilford seems to Ik l disliked somewhat on the lines of objection taken to Dr. Fell “the reason why I cannot tell, hut I do not like you Dr Fell.’’ Mr Milford’s real chance has not come yet. The Lil>eral lender has ability and understanding. and in the short term he was with the Coalition Ministry ho went some way towards winning his spurs. The numerical backing behind Mr Wilford at the moment is not strong, but on his present stumping tour he is displaying his capabilities as a keen and earnest critic, with the ieady ability to express himself. It may be concluded therefore that Mr Milford’s political stock is rising in value. A special indication of this is the attention the Christchurch “Press” j 3 devoting to Mr Wilford in the keen

desire to discount tho efforts alike of the Liberals and their accepted leader. Mr Holland will never be likely to rise to great heights of popularity in the Dominion, llis ability along certain lines will Ik- conceded, but there are points about the political policy he es. ponses which will never be acceptable. Labour as lead by Mr Holland is being served very well as far as it has gone, and it is not unlikely it will go lurthcr, but taking one consideration with another it is doubtful if Labor under Mr Holland is likely to receive a complete mandate from the people. If that contingency were in sight it is not unlikely that a combination of the other parties, either temporary or permanent would lie brought about to avoid the possibility.

Thkjik is a belief in the Dominion, says the -Mercantile Gazette, that the Civil Service would bear a lot- of cutting down, and that its numbers are out of all proportion to the work which lias to be done. There is always an inclination on the part of Departmental heads to increase staff and to encourage the employment of ten clerks to do work which, if ordinary business metho'ds were applied, could be easily done by half the number. "Whether this is so or not, wo cannot sav, but it would dissipate erroneous and possibly unfair assumptions if the Government asked a. few commercial men to investigate this question, and report, bow many Civil Servants eotild be dispensed with, without injuring efficiency. It may lie that the result would show there is not a single man or woman in excess of requirements. On the other band, the report might show that twenty to fifty thousand are more parasites upon the taxpayers. That* 1 lie Civil Service of any country may. by constant and unnecessary expansion in numbers become an intolerable burden upon tho community is seen in the English figures, which show the Civil Service estimate .as fifty four millions jusi before the war, but those for the year ended March 31last required two hundred aiid fffty one millions, nearly five times as much. Even allowing for the fact that pensions amounting to seventy-throe millions were included in this sum, the rate of increase shows that hundreds of thousands are being paid unnecessarily. Prior to Lloyd George’s advent of power in 1006. the Civil Service requirements amounted to twentyeight millions only. Tho total estimates last year for the Army and Navy expenditure was one hundred and five millions, for the Civil Service, excluding nil pension appropriations. one hundred and eightv-two millions. It seems an absurdity that trade must find this gigantic sum in 102-1 for services which required twenty-eight millions only eighteen years since.