NEW ZEALAND CIVIL SERVICE.

Southland Times, Issue 544, 20 August 1866, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND CIVIL SERVICE.

In order to secure economy in the workiug of the Government machinery a Civil Service Act has become a positive necessary. The disjointed system of Provincialism has created a multiplicity of offices, many of which are uncalled for, and as a natural consequence, are inadequately paid. In addition to this, the uncertainty of the tenure of office ; the feeling that at every shuffle of the Ministerial cards, departmental changes might be maijlo, has a tendency to restrict applicants seeking employment under *G-overninent. This mistake has been made, not only in New Zealand, but in all the Australias, during the early days of colonization. During the last few years a great change has taken place. In the Australian colonies, under the working of the Civil Service Act, unqualified men cannot be placed over the head .of old servants, simply because they happen to be hand and glove with this or that politician who happens for the time to be a Minister. Victoria, New South TY"aleß, South Australia, and Queensland, now require all applicants for public employment to undergo an examination as to their qualifications for the office sought to be obtained ; a system of promotion has been adopted, and a scale of pensious drawn up, which has proved highly successful, leading firstclass men to court Government service, and creating an ambition in even the lowest official to study, in order to prepare himself for a higher position. The heavy departmental expenditure that has hitherto been a marked feature in the New Zealand Government has led to the a^pointiueut of a Civil Service Commission — Dr Knight, and Messrs Gisborxe, Seijd, aud vSpcxcE, aud the first portion of their labors has been published. The report before us is a censure on the provincial system. It points out that ten civil services exists each working independent of the others aud consequent disorgiu:ition, and Governmental extravagauce both in pay*aud numbers. We anj somewhat startled with the statements made, although tew who are acquainted with the working of the government would fail to observe that many more hands were employed than necessary, still it was scarcely possible to imagine that the evil had attained the magnitude that is now exhibited. The report is carefully and ably prepared, and may be made a study with advantage. The- following paragraph is essentially to the point. Having commented upon the inconvenience of these separate services, the - Commissioners report : — " This absence of systematic organisation has naturally resulted in confusion and irregularity. No fixed principals have i existed to harmonise and cement the structure of the service. That twofold spirit of independence and emulation, which arises from a reasonable security of tenure, and probability of preferment and which i8 so essential to the good of the public service, is feeble and languid. Appointments, pay, and promotion, depend more upon fortuitous events than on seeded principles. The best intentions of a, Government, or of a Legislature will, under these circumstances, be practically frustrated. A settlement, however just, abstractedly considered, of ! individual claims, often results in refe- j rence to the service generally, in discontent, disorganisation, and even in positive injustice- Protracted and fruitless discussion m Parliament, of estimates — private importunity — neglect of many deserving claims, and tbjfe gradual deterioration jof the service, are the consequence of this st^te of afikirs. The defective vitality of such a service is in vaiu supplemented by its numerical increase. The remedy only aggravates the disease, by creating in the lower ranks of office, a disproportionate excess of underpaid officers. The Civil Service of t-iiis colony painfully illustrates "this argument-. The number of individuals in official capacities, paid under appropriations of the General Assembly, is 1602. Thm number includes country postmasters,, native assessors, &c., but excludes the colonial forces. The amount pa;d in salaries and fees during the year 1805. i.< £193,404. The number of chief { clerks «»i* offices is thirty-five ; the uverage ! rate oi' their annual salary is £281 Bs. | The~iuituber of other clerks is three bun- j <ired aud ei^ht; their average rate of! salary is £175 17s. We have made care- ! j fill enquiries frina the banks and principal I mercantile firms id the t*olouy, respecting £ the ?a!.irse* 'which services of a kind shoiiar to those rendered by officials v easily command." . This presents a sad »-&te of governing mismajjageuient. Here I we find that the chief clerks, men who

we supposed to be qualified to titke a j high comraewjial position and heavy re, j apotisibilitiea, are paid little or no more than the industrious mechanic cstn gens* rally earn, while the other thtve hundred and eight olerka average less than A merchant's junior clork .or a tradesman's shopman is paid. The Commissioners, upon this subject. saysInquiries have led to the conclusion that the subordinate ofncitls are much underpaid, and recommends, as a cure tor thw evil and others arising from similar causes, tint a " classification, promotion from class to class, salaries with minimum and maximum limits, and with annual mere isements for each class ; rules of discipline ; retirement, and other allowances, in certain cases," and add: — "We hope that by these means public servants may be enabled to feel that they are officers, not of a department, but of a Government in which they have a recognised status •, and that efficiency and length of service will uniformly lend to preferment, and that reasonable provision has been made for them in sickness or old age." The report proposes radical changes in the electoral, judicial, customs, and other departments. It is suggested the customs should be under the direction of one head, and an Inspector appointed to periodically visit the various ports of entry, with power to make such reforms as he might find necessary. The costly and inefficient system of registration and conduct of elections is ably brought forward, and valuable suggestions made as to reforms. Until the whole report is before us, it will be impossible to give it that careful consideration we could desire, there is, however, one more extract of importance. It has reference to Magisterial appointments. It is as follows : — " The cost of the administration of justice by means of paid Resident Magistrates, appears to us to be excessive. Exclusively of Wardens, who are also Resident Magistrates in certain gold fields, and who are paid partly or wholly out of Provincial funds, there are 58 persons who are Resident Magistrates paid by the General Government, and their aggregate annual salaries, exclusively of any other paid appointments which they may hold, amounts to £17,804 We recommend that paid Resident Magistrates should only be appointed at principal towns and in some native districts ; and I that Petty Sessions, with equivalent powers, under * The Petty Sessions Act, 1865,' should be substituted iv other districts. We would, however, advise some slight modifications in the provisions of that Act. We think that the clerk aud bailiff should be appointed and paid by the Crown, and not by Justices of the Peace, and the fees and fines should be paid into the Colonial Treasury. We also think that all Justices being required to exercise the functions of these honorary offices, the necessity of paying a chairman any fee might be avoided by leaving the choice of the chairman to the Justices attending each Bench. Our belief is that the reiteution of at most twenty paid Resident .Magistrates would be quite sufficient, and the salaries of the remainder might be saved."