The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1931. NATIONAL ECONOMY.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 December 1931, Page 4

The Guardian And Eve ning Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1931. NATIONAL ECONOMY.

It is hardly fair to either the United or the Coalition Ministry to say, as the president of the Associated Chambers of Commerce did a few days ago. that the efforts of the Government to

, effect economies have produced very little result. The sum total of econ- | omies may be only a small fraction { of tlie total expenditure, but the Govj eminent has pruned in many directions, and when Mr Forbes and his l Ministers insisted oil reducing wages and salaries they risked thdr political lives. No one, however, who has studied the question, says an exchange, doubts that more economies 1 can be made, and tile Chambers of Commerce are giving an important ! lead by combining to press further action oil thb Government, Tlie 'president has in mind H noil political Commission that., would be instructed to prepare “an adequate plan fed the adjustment of national and local requirements to tlie ability of the country to provide the means.” Possibly this programme is asking too much of the Government, for its seems to trench upon policy, which is the Government’s business The Government, however, is already committed to an inquiry by a Commission into local body government, and while this is working, another Commission or Committee 'could inquire into the financial side of State administration. One has felt that the economy investigations of the Government have their weakness, that they are conducted purely by Ministers and Civil servants, and that the inquiries would be more fruitful and satisfying to the public if the wind of outside knowledge and experience were let into Government departments. As to local government, the need for an overhaul is as plain as daylight. As the Christchurch “Fli'ess” remarks, our local government svtsem has been developing piecemeal since the abolition of the Provinces in 1874, with the result that it is now hardly. worth calling a system, and there has never been any official"inquiry into local body administration. The fact must pot be overlooked that this country has “gone the "pace” at ’ the Town Hall as well ns in tire Parliamentary Buildings, and ecoiioniy is called fo-r at both places. While, however, such inquiries would he very helpful, the possibility of them being conducted does not excuse the Government from immediate action, The - Government i» responsible for policy as well ns administration, and it cannot shift nil of that responsibility on to Commissions, Take the Civil Service. The Government lias not tackled one important cause of the service’s high cost —the system of granting increments of salary automatically, so that the annual increase in the salary list represents .about half a million. It • does not need a Commission to poin| thus out, and it is necessary that the system he changed, and that without delay The Government has fair warning of what the Chambers of Commerce mean to ask for, and if it is wise it will forestall the request.