SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9411, 3 April 1909, Page 5

SIR JOSEPH WARD.

SPEECH AT UPPER HUTT. CIVIL SERVICE CHANGES. Press Association. Upper Hu It, April 2. Sir Joseph Ward, speaking at Upper Hutt to-night, said In view of the fact that we have a reduced revenue, caused largely by remissions of taxation, and that we have paid daring the past year £BOO,OOO out of revenue to the Public Works land, our balance must gecesearily be smaller, but I’m glad to 'say, as far as I can judge at present, the estimate given by me in the Budget last session will be Realised _As I propose to. speak on. financial matters and policy questions wbeu I am in possession of fnller results of the financial year, I will say nothing further under this bead at present. Why I feel that it is necessary that we should examine the general position of the Public Services is largely due to the fact that our expenditure in the past year has risen considerably and that there is a ■ known sbrinkage in the revenue. Therefore, it is desirable, in my opinion, to see that the basis of our financial structure—public and private should be erected and maintained as strong as it was prior to any remissions of taxation or the operation of any other causes that may temporarily interfere with the volume of trade, principally through the Customs. By giving effect to a proposal of amalgamation the expenditure will bo reduced by salaries of those officers whose services will no longer be required. These, in most cases, are senior officers, the total of whose salaries will represent a considerable saving. There will of necessity be adjustments which will call for the retirement of others, but I may say that this is not intended to be done hurriedly or rashly. On completion of the amalgamation of the various departments a careful and thorough review of the requirements of the combined departments will be carried out by their heads and reported to the Government. This will reduce expenditure by substituting one set of secretaries, accountants, chief clerks, record clerks, and officers of that kind to perform the duties which are now carried out by a larger number of separate staffs. The larger departments will then be able, without any great accession of clerks, to carry out their increase duties. CHANGES TO BE MADE.

The following changes will be made

The Treasury Department will absorb the Friendly Societies Department. The Post and Telegraph will absorb the Old Age Pensions Department. The Stamps and Deeds Department will be divided, and the Deeds branch will he attached to the Department of Justice, and the Stamps Department will be added to the Postal Department. The Public Works Department will bo known in future as the Public Works, '.Mines, and Roads Department, and the separate departments of Mines and Roads will not be continued.

In the Native Department, the three Judges who are retiring will not be replaced, and the assessment work, which now entails heavy travelling expenses, will be carried out at the head office. The Native Appellate Court is to ha abolished and the Chief Judge office. There will be other important changes, and a large reduction of cost will be secured.

The Justice Department will absorb the Prisons, Police, and Deeds Departments, as well as the Deeds Registry Department. These will be controlled by the Minister of Justice, who will also administer the Grown Law Department and law drafting office The Registrar-Generalship will bo filled by the appointment of Mr P. W. Mansfield, who will to be chief electoral officer. The Marine and Inspection of Machinery Departments will bo amalgamated with the Customs Department, under the name of the Customs and Marine Department. The Immigration Department will be amalgamated with the Department of Labour. The Lands for Settlement and Land Purchase Departments will be amalgamated with the Lands and Survey Department, Mr Ritchie becoming chairman and inspector for Land Purchase Board. The Industries and Commerce Department and Tourist Department wilt be amalgamated with the Department of Agriculture, and Hon. T. Mackenzie will have Ministerial charge. This amalgamation also will result in considerable economy, but before it is carried into effect a complete reorganisation of the Agricultural Department will be carried ont.

In regard to the Lands and Income Tax Department, it is not quite definitely settled what the nature of the readjustments will be. The Fire Insurance Department will probably be attached to that department as well as the examination of deceased persona’ estates, be placed under the Commissioner of Taxes, as necessarily the question of taxation in connection with this branch shonld properly be under the bonttol of the Taxing Commissioner. The amalgamation of the Public Health, the Hospitals and Charitable Aid, and the Mental Hospitals Departments is also to be effected. VALUATION DEPARTMENT. The question of keeping the Valuation Department separate or allying it with some others is not definitely decided, but there will be a-maetrial alteration in the system of valuation. As the result of close investigation I am satisfied that the carrying out of valuations for local public bodies by the Valuation Department should oease, the work being undertaken by local bodies themselves. The Valuation Department shonld continue to carry on the work for general taxation, and for the purposes of other Departments of the State. This policy would effect a substantial reduction in the cost of the Departments. It will he necessary, so as to prevent the reversion to the practice of some local bodies of employing their own officers to make valuations, to pass legislation providing that none but valuers bolding certificates from the Valuation Department may be employed by the local bodies.

AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. This Department has very great interests to deal with and a well directed expenditure of money will greatly assist the producing interests of the country. Efficiency in every possible way is desirable, but I am persuaded that it can be obtained at a less oost and with a great deal less

friction and better results to the country than is the case at present. DEFENCE DEPARTMENT,

' There will be material alterations in the Defence Department and I propose to ask Parliament next session to abolish the Defence Council entirely. The machinery is gtoo cumbrous for a country with the population of New Zealand, and is for that very reason less , effective than it should be. Parliament will be askod to substitute a more practical system. Colonel Robin and Colonel Davies are to go to England for 12 months in tnrn. They will be attached to the "War Office and these two responsible men will thus have the benefit of studying on the spot the latest developments in the Imperial service so that they may;on return to the Dominion be thoroughly posted in the most modern scientific methods to be adopted in New Zealand in future. There must of necessity he material alterations in minor matters connected with defence, but I will deal with those when speaking of the Government’s proposals in connection with the British Navy and the internal defence of New Zealand. DETAILS OP RETRENCHMENT. The alterations which I have outlined will not only reduce the number of Departments to sixteen, but the number of classes on the consolidated fund estimates will also be reduced to sixteen instead of 26 as at present. There will be one chief clerk for each administrative head instead of a chief clerk in every small Department as at present. Correspon ience and book-keeping will be conducted at the head office instead of each branch having a staff of its own for these purposes. The duplication of book-keeping carried out by some Departments while the work is being done on similar lines by the Treasury, will gradually cease and here again much money will be saved. The larger Departments will, however, continue to keep their own books. In connection with the various Departments there will he certain professional heads, such as the Public Works Engineer and the Surveyor-General. Arrangements of a similar character will no doubt have to be made in soma of the amalgamated Departments. Until these proposals are carried into effect no new appointments or transfers will be made. This is in order, if required, that the junior officers of the amalgamated Departments may he absorbed. The Civil Service junior list has. been closed for the last few weeks and will he closed for a while longer. Married men will have the preference and those who may for a time be required to give up their positions will be put on record for reinstatement as circumstances permit, so that, as far as possible, hardships and injustices will be avoided. It is also intended that the fixed daily travelling allowances which have been paid shall be discontinued and actual expenses, witn a limit on similar lines to that of the present allowances, will be substituted, and vouchers will have to be provided. This decision is due to the fact that travelling expenses have gradually been mounting up until they have attained a sum much beyond what on examination appears to be required or to be fair to the country as a whole. This change will save a considerable amount of money. The cost of telephones in the public services throughout the Dominion is running into a fairly large sum, and it is intended that the heads of Departments are to review the position and:where telephones are required for the public service they will be supplied, the Department requiring same to pay for them. In connection with the telephone service the free lists are to be abolished. Hospitals and charitable institutions, a large number of which are now on the free list, will be required to pay half rates, and when new lines are required for such institutions they will he called upon to pay the whole cost and half fees. This on account of the numerous applications that are incessantly being received for free selephones for .all kinds of purposes. Here, again, there will be a substantial saving. In connection with the Prisons Department, there will he a transfer from the smaller prisons, some of which are costing sums altogether out of proportion to that of the larger ones. These are to be abolished and the surplus accommodation for prisoners will thus be filled. The economies which I have outlined, including other changes which will ho submitted to Parliament, will effect a total saving exceeding a quarter of a million sterling and this, so far as the portions affecting the 'public are concerned, without impairing their efficiency or inconveniencing the public in any Way. UNIVERSAL SERVICE.

The Premier also dealt at considerable length with the defence policy. They were, he said, bringing about a national system of defence, so that from the time the boy goes to school until he reaches the age of 31, he will receive a thorough military training. It is also intended to make provision for rifle ranges from one end of the colony to the other and to supply rifle club members with free ammunition to the extent of 250 rounds.