THE COST OF GOVERNMENT

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3954, 11 June 1929, Page 3

THE COST OF GOVERNMENT

The easy assumption in various utterances by the Prime Minister that the only way to balance the next Budget, is by increasing taxation will not he universally endorsed. Already a vigorous protest has been made by the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, and though its discussion included some obviously extravagant remarks concerning one State department, there is no doubt that an oven-whelming case can be made in favour ot eronclmy of expenditure as the proper safeguard against Budget deficits. The general tendency of the opinions expressed in the Christchurch report, was that the Dominion is afflicted by too much government. Circumstantial evidence in support of this conclusion is available in a sumlmary of the returns of classified ojfflcers and salaries undeir the Public Service Commissioner. Commencing with the first report and taking triennial periods, the expansion has been as follows : Officers. Salaries. 1913 4895 £900,612 1916 5993 1,115,306 1919 6228 1,221,699 1922 6781 1,804,488 1925 7385 2,064,119 1928 7427 2,105,777

Officers of the railways Department, the Post and Telegraph Department, and school teachers are not included in these returns, nor are casual employee's. It represents approximately the administrative machinery of government. In fifteen years the personnel of the Public Serivice has increased over 50 per cent., and the cost in salaries two and a-third times. Yet in that period, the population has increased only 30 per cent. Not the least striking feature of the complication is that whereas each of the previous periods showed increases of several hundreds of officers, the addition to the service in the last three was only 42. The tendency toward rapid expansion is, however, again being encouraged for already two new departments have 'been created by the present Government. This is only one aspect of the ease for greater economy in (the cost of governtment. Now that the subject has been opened by the 'Canterbury 'Chamber of Commerce, the affiliated and kindred organisations should be aroused to the necessity of action in defence of the public against the Government’s threat of additional exactions upon o body of taxpayers who are already dverburdened. —-Auckland Herald.