The Civil Service.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 238, 21 January 1888, Page 4

The Civil Service.

The decision of the Government to lengthen the hours of the Civil Service, and to prevent the public from entering the " biggest - I wooden building in the world "during the • [ inorhing, has excited a good deal of ' unfavourable comment. The increase of hours has been expected by the officials for • some time, but none of them had, the, slightest inkling that it was intended \ to' exclude outsiders from the buildings. This latter regulation, which it is understood will come into force at the end ofthepresentinonthjisgenei'allycondemne'd,, , and "in a leading article headed "Prison , Regulations," the "Evening Press" ex- u presses'' deep regret that, the Government should introduce such a pal Cry system. The article concludes as follows i "The fact is such regulations as these, are' founded on are entirely wrong in principle, and are absolutely destructive 1 of departmental efficiency!' 1 Civil servants ought npt to be drilled like soldiers or treated like " inmates' of a workhouse,' 'but nobody ought to be admitted into service or, 5 , retained in ifc who cannot' safely be trusted^ to do his duty. !Eaeh 'permanent head ! of a ' department ought to be held responsible ' for the conduct of his 1 department, a'nd^ 6f every officer in it, and Ministers ought never to interfere except upon direct) appeal by the head of a department? in dealing with any departmental matter. : Ii Ministers, " find that laxity or disorder prevails in any department they ought to call the Under Secretary to account for it, and if he proves ' incapable of setting matters fight ,they ought to remove him, and put a competent man in his ' place. All the regulations in the world will not promote the efficiency of the service or the despatch' ot business in the least: Individual officers, and especially heads of departments and chief clerks are not what they , ought to be, they cannot be what they ought to be, if they are not invested with ample authority f and implicitly trusted to iise it aright. It is a safe rule for Ministers to go by that public servants, from highest to ' lowest, . cannot bo treated too much like gentlemen, in order to obtain from 'them the most faithful and strenuous exertions.. The surest way to make them* dilatory and careless and inefficient or contrary, is to assume that they would be so if they could, to subject' them to arbitrary vexations and humiliating regulations; to treat them, in short, as if they were ' a pack of snobs and humbugs. There have been Ministers we know who looked upon Civil servan ts as their natural, enemies' and their natural prey, and who 1 took the keenest delight and pr,ide in bullying 'them and snubbing them and* . making them miserable. Those Miuisteis, however, % neyei* stayed/ in/ office. Jong, andY never returned to it.' "On' the. other nand, Ministers who 'have got" most oiit of the Civil servants, and 6ome of them have laid scvero'strain on them in the way of work, have been those who treated them in]' all things as they would have wislied bd; be treated I 'themselves* * We took it 'for granted that the present -Ministry belonged to this latter^lass, and' for their own' sake, as well as 1 for the sake 1 Of 'the/ Civil servants and public,' between who'tti, \ : let it be borne in mind,' there is a very//, strong community of interest and. of symV ~ paUiy »' we sincerely trust 'that it -will pfover sj " to be so." ' ,"' '' Under the new system of control of Go,- ' 'Vernment'offi6es; visitors' will only bei a<|; ' niitted to the' buildings after the luncheon/ hour, and then they will' be provided wifch^ ; a -waiting-room in which I 'interviews with " Government officers may take ' place*,, note/ being taken of the duration-, of • ' officer's ' absence from ' his ' 'duties. a ', The/ ; buildincr will be ' ! 'entirely (l ( l closed * and'," business cease' during' 1 -lunclifedn 1 Ratesof Civil servants' travelling 'allowances %'% ' arc to be reduced from'tfheprßseh^Ecalb'of/^ 3a 6d per day for every £100 pf salary, 1 with^ " ,a minvmun' of 7^ 6d ? to 1 uniform s'c'aile' of 'los, J per: day for 'every recipient ' or salary! lip* to '*' £400j and »p>2#'6d 'fo s r all' dffice¥s;ar4>vin ( g *■ higher salaries. ''The change will'not apply ! j f to judges ' of 'the Supreme' Court, ah r aex-' 1 ' „cep,tk>ns raa^. lio made ii\ cases' of Vptfeb'ialf' '.character. -'•! « 1! i •' >|l " > " llt ' •'""'* ,"'- 5