THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSIONERS’ REPORT.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2266, 22 June 1880, Page 2

THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSIONERS’ REPORT.

Tim following is a condensation of the above report: — The Civil Service Commission lieport is now out. It commences ; —“ It will not be supposed by any one who is capable of forming an idea of (he magnitude of the Civil Service of Hew Zealand, that your Commissioners have been able in a few weeks lo procure all the information necessary to enable them to report on all (lie Departments of that Service, far less to recommend any complete system of reorganisation or reconstruction.” The Commissioners then proceed to deal with tire several Departments in detail. “ Railways.—Wo hast directed our attention to the. railways of the South Island, the management oi; which since 1878 has been rested in a Commissioner. Throughout this large and important section there is an evident tendency to extravagance, and, to say the least, a disregard of the recognised procavtions in the expenditure of: public money. Men with no special ability or training have been appointed to highly paid offices, and to perform duties which arc either quite unnecessary or within -the capacity of an ordinary clerk. The service is split into throe distinct departments with such an absence of definition as to their respective duties and powers, that business is carried on in a constant spirit of antagonism between them.” 11 of erring to the fact that there arc two distinct bodies of engineers employed on the railway works they say, “ The result of our enquiries has everywhere been to convince us that much evil and no good results from the existence of the two separate authorities on all engineering questions." They recommend that the Hail way Telegraph Department bo abolished with the least possible delay. Amongst instances of gross mismanagement the following arc given:—“At Dunedin wc found an ollicer receiving £6OO a year, called a Locomotive Engineer, who informed ns in his evidence that his business was to inspect the working engines, and discover that they required repairs, for which duty a distinct ofliccris employed. This engineer, who admits that he had had no practical experience of locomotives previous to his appointment, is paid £6OO a year to go into the locomotive shed, with an engine that has boon found to require repair, and instruct the long-experienced locomotive foreman what to do with it. On the subject of the different kinds of engines they say, “ The great variety of locomotive engines used on the lines (no less than IG different kinds) gives rise to many inconveniences, and adds much to the difficult}" and cost of repairs. In some parts of the colony wc found heaps of unprotected stores going to destruction, and in others Ihc same kind of stores being purchased from private merchants or manufactured at au excessive cost. Wo had evidence in one instance of 13 railway carriages having been so exposed to lire weather that it cost £1177 to put them in a lit stale for use before they had earned a shilling. The greatest waste of public money is probably going on in the railway workshops. On visiting the Invercargill workshop, wo found the smiths employed in making ‘ points and crossings,’ and the officer in charge assured us with much satisfaction.that each set that was made was a saving of £5 to the colony, as he made them at a cost of £l7 a set, while the price charged by the public works for the imported sot was £22. Wc hud that the Booth Island Commissioner has invested capital in a iirm contracting with the department of which he is the head, and that his receipts from this capital depend on the success of that linn. It is impossible lo estimate the amount of loss which

the colony may have suffered from this obviously false position held the working- head of its principal railway, a position that should not be pci nutted under any circumstances. Loose, irregular. and suspicions transactions of the kind we have mentioned appear to be confined to the South island.” “.Railways in the North. —formalities and safeguards have been adhered to with great strictness and sometimes carried on a little too far, but in neither island could we find any evidence of able searching, economical supervision, or any viligant protection of the public interest; while we found it easy to detect much that was irregular, wasteful, and extravagant in the management of onr railways, especially in tlie South Island. The Commissioner of that Island has stated in his evidence that ho has ‘ done all that he could, and he secs no way of making the service more economical.’ This can lead to no other conclusion than that some one else should take in hand a service of such vital importance to the prosperity of the Colony, and which we are quite sure is susceptible of a very largo reduction on its present expenditure.” The Commissioners recommend one permanent head, and the reduction of the salaries by 121 per cent., which would effect a saving of £52.000.

Their comments on the Public Works department are almost as sweeping. They say, “ Hero, as in most other departments of the Hew Zealand Government, highly paid men are too often employed at work requiring no uncommon abilit} r , and engineers are found acting as accountants, inspectors, and clerks of works.” In dealing with the Crown Lands and Survey Departments, the Commissioners prove an enormous waste of public money. Their investigation into the Customs department is admitted to have been “ superficial.’’ They recommend a complete union of the Post and Telegraph departments. “Printing department.—Our investigation of other departments has led us to the conviction that a great amount of useless work is thrown on this department, and an immense mass of documents printed that arc of no public interest or utility. “Treasury and Audits.—These departments it has been impossible in the limited time at our disposal to enquire into in such a way as to attempt to report on them at present. The Commissioners point out that in the Department of Justice an exhaustive and painstaking investigation is demanded.

“ Travelling allowances are given solely tor lire purpose of covering reasonable expenditure, and precautions should bo taken to prevent persons from regarding this as a source of indirect prolife.” Under the head “General reforms,” they say, “Speaking of these departments to which wo have not particularly referred, and of the departments generally the first step towards cconom} r must be the abandonment of all ideas and traditions that now exist as to the Government being mjuired to treat the employees on any different principles from those which should regulate a well conducted establishment of any large employer, and chieJly that men should bo sought for the work required, and not places sought for the men who have been trained to expect them.” The report conclud.os, “ it is on!}' by very uncommon exertion and heroic sacrifices that the small number of taxpayers in Xew Zealand can hope to honestly meet their engagements and hear (he excessive burdens which the last ton years of borrowing and reckless spending have brought upon them.”

The report, ns iaiil on (he (able of the House, lias the following memorandum attached to it by Sir lb Hongl.'i-', one of Commissioners :—“ I n allixmgmy signature to the report, 1 must: qualify my approval lay calling attention to the observation contained in it ;—•' We ana conscious of having left .some large and important brandies of the Sendee altogether nninvestigated, of having inquired very .superficially into others, and of having gone exhaustively into none.’ I wish therefore the report had stoppcil short of the proposals in which the entire reorganisation of the Civil Sendee as a whole arc recommended to be based.— lb Douglas.”