government services

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 794, 15 October 1929, Page 11

government services

big increases since 1914 CRmCISM BY CONFERENCE In 1914 Parliament cost the taxpayers of New Zealand £71,4-12; last year the cost had risen to £153,900. fpHIS was one item dealing with *- public servants and the cost of administering Government departments given to the conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce yesterday afternoon by Mr. TV. J. Gilberd, of Wanganui. He was dealing with a remit from the Wanganui Chamber which stated that the conference was of opinion that tho number of public servants far exceeded requirements-, that the cost of administering the Government departments was excessive and that immediate steps be taken to bring about drastic reductions. The discussion which followed was heard by Mr. I*. D. N. Verschaffelt, Public Service Commissioner, who replied later to some of the criticism. In submitting the remit Mr. Gilberd jave some interesting comparisons of staff and expenditure of Government uepartments. There were as follow:

Mr. Gilberd said that *tho total increase in staffs of Government departments over the period quoted was 45.253 and the increase in salaries £14,681,00F During 1928 the total amount paid in salaries, excluding Parliament, had been £25,984,000. Overhead expenses of the Dominion had srown out of all proportion to its population. Mr. C. II Hewlett (Christchurch) said that if business houses and commercial enterprises carried the same excessive staffs as th« Government they would all ho bankrupt. There was a crying need to have a t gation of all Government departments. AMAZED AT FIGURES

Mr. Verschaffelt remarked that he was amazed to hear Mr. Gilherd’s figures. He did not know where they had been obtained but he thought that th*y were very general. There certainly had been an increase in the number of public servants but the increased facilities offered to the public warranted this. The conference must realise that; the real increase in cost was not to the public servants but was made up by war pensions and debt charges. During the last 10 years there had been ari enormous increase in the expenditure on mental hospitals, but it must be realised that the number of patients had increased very largely. Staffs had certainly been increased, but. asked Mr. Verschaffelt what services were to be curtailed? He said that the policy of the present Government was not to curtail any service. He admitted the increases in the Post and telegraph Department but asked thoso present to consider the corresponding increase in public facilities. In his opinion the increases in staff were justified. Mr. Verschaffelt quoted ‘ several instances where Government officials were drawing lower salaries than men in private enterprises of the same .standing. PULLING THEIR WEIGHT There was a feeling that several of .the Government offices were overstaffed, said Mr. A. G. Lunn (Auckland). “Is every man taking his full pull on tho rope?” ho asked Mr. Verschaffelt who replied that as far as possible every man was. Mr. W. Machin (Christchurch) quoted the expenditure under the; heading “social services,” which included health and hospitalss pensions and education. His figures, which were taken from an article written by the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) for the Auckland Chamber of Commerce magazine, were that the cost of these services had nsen from £2,123,815 in 1913-14 to £6.292.930 last year. The net. charges a head of mean population in 1913-14 were £S 2s 6d but last year they had risen to £l2 4s 4d a head. Mr. Verschaffelt replied that the public servants had not affected the cost of the social services. Mr. A. P. Wright (Christchurch), thought that many of the Government Departments were overstaffed. He compared the number in the staff of the big London railway station of charing Cross with that of some of the Zealand stations. “I don’t think we are getting the value for the money we pay,” continued Mr. Wright, “If all the officers of all the Government departments were put into uniform we would be amazed at the result end the country I think would soon find some means of reducing them.” A country the size of New Zealand, id not require such a number of civil servants to run it, he said. USELESS ARMS ACT la quoting what he thought were some of tho unnecessary Government departments Mr. V. E. Hamilton, ichristchurch), referred to the Arms Act. This, which was quite unnecessary, had cost the country £52,000, and it c: uia easily be done away with. ‘ls it the policy of the Government nat if a man is unemployable he is to be retained?” asked Mr. H. T. Merru » (Auckland) in referring to the ’-'tanuhu workshops where it had been said that many workers were unnecessary. ttr. A. C. Cameron (Dunedin), spoke !5 t " e frequent transfers of Govecnment officials and the cost of moving oem from one part of the Dominion to the other. Mr. c. P. Agar (acting-president) •tgreed that the suggestion to amalgamate several of the offices was a sood one.

Mr. Verschaffelt thought that the emit was too sweeping in its stateHe told the conference that - he were informed of any civil serwere walking round doing aothing- he would see that they were ' s blissed if their services were not squired. Aftor further discussion the remit "'as withdrawn.

Late Commercial

1913-14. 1928-29. Railways— start • • • • £14,176 £ IS,600 Salaries £1.9o9,000 post and Telegraph— £4,152,000 Staff -. £3,300 £10,013 Salaries £699,240 £2,277,000 Education — Staff •. .. .£4,448 £9,845 Salaries £878,611 £2,351,000 public Works— Staff .. £34,729 £59,050 Salaries £5,951,000 £13,843,000