THE COST OF GOVERNMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2469, 19 August 1922, Page 2

THE COST OF GOVERNMENT.

IS THE CIVIL SERVICE OVERGROWN? FACTS DEMANDING ENQthfe. That the bureauei-aey of a country may grow to such dimensions as to prove a serious burden upon the resources of the people is scarcely likely to be challenged by thoughtful citizens. For that reason, amongst others, we deprecate &e movement of carrying State enterprise into all manner of trading and regulative fields of operation. The Army of State employees may become too great for service and its cost too excessive to be healthy from the standpoint of National economy. There appears to us, on reviewing the facts we have been able to get bold of, a distinct danger in this direction in New Zealand. The politicians of all parties, and of none, are all too eager to please the voters in groups and often readily allow, if not encourage, the extension of State functions, growth of State Departments and enlargement of the State’s operations.

SJME PLAIN FACTS. As near as we can get to the exact figures relating to Government Departments this is the Option we find disclosed. Expenditure of these Departments increased from £7,589,776 in 1914 to £15,592,677 in 1922. It was recently stated that no less than 51,000 Civil Servants are on the pay-roll. The pre-war total is not available for comparison but the examination of individual will serve for enlightenment. Staffs have grown enormously and no full explanation has yet been presented of the reasons, or need, for such very great increases as are shown. Last year the Land's and Survey Department had 212 more officers than n 19.14. The staffs for the Internal Affairs and Labour Departments have doubled. The Department of Health has no fewer than four times the number employed in 1914. Even the Stamp Department has swollen in conformity with the increases in staff. In face of the current- public opinion that if trade and business generally are to revive, taxation must be reduced, the thought must find expression of whether the pre--ent Civil Service is not too big and costly for the country to maintain. Wc recognise that in the big Department- of Railways and Postal Services the staff’s were for the time being reduced by the war, and some replacement was justified after 1918. Taking sixteen tnents, however, we find thawheir staffs had not, with three exception.-. decreased in 1918-19 as compared with 1914-15 and in 1920-21 thirteen showed increases on 191415, some very considerable. POST AND TELEGRAPH 'SERVICE. Commencing at the head of this Service we find that taking the Officers drawing £4OO per annum up to the Chief drawing £1,250 there were 52 such Officers in 1914-15, and 357 in 1920-21. The cost in the former year being £27,190 and in the latter £170,275. Taking Officers drawing over 1300 and under £4OO so far as we i an discover there were 105 of such in 1914-15 and 1,672 in 1920-21. These figures are so startling that tfe hesitate to give them credence ourselves although our examination of the lists have been carefully carried out. Of those shown from £4OO and upward we have no doubt of accuracy although the number in 1920-2.1 is nearly seven times that of 1914-15. Those between £3OO and £4OO would show sixteen times the number in 1920-2.1 as compared with 1014-15 and there we are open to correction if wrong. In this we are correct that the Servian in 1920-21 had not merely recovered its full staff of. 1914-15 but had 2,097 more employed, and whereas tlie total salaries stood at £747,648 in 1914-15 the total in 192021 was increased to £1,636,825. SOME CONCLUSIONS. The facts to be faced are: — (1) That Public Service expenditure is eight millions a year greater than it was eight years ago, or the cost to the public doubled —has <>ur means to pay doubled? (2) Departmental Staffs appear to have increased abnormally. (3) Taxation, and direct charges for Services, have been largely increased. (4) The Dominion’s trade and industrial growth is suffering from the excessive burdens of high taxation and increased charges. We give due credit for the fact that the Postal Sendee shows net earnings this year of £359,964 as against, a loss of £1,345 last„year. There is still the double rates to meet, the continuing loss on our Railways, the general increase of eight millions departmental expenses and our conclusion is that still more drastic economy is required before the country can recover its stability and make progress on a sound basis of finance. (Contributed by the N.Z. -Welfare League.)