COSTLY RETURNS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 212, 28 August 1908, Page 4

COSTLY RETURNS

The rciusul of the Attorney-General to furnish the return asked for by the Hon. .1. 'i'. I'aul relating to Hie amount of money annually spent 011 the lease of premises for Government offices in the four chief centres was productive of at least one outspoken utterance. Every session all sorts of possible and impossible returns are asked for. Some of them concern the veriest trilles; others, owing to their complexity, are incapable of being made without a'great deal of expenditure and time to very little purpose. The Hon. 0. Samuel, in general reference lo the returns furnished to Parliament, said in the Legislative Council that many of tliem were absolutely purposeless, it was not 011 y a question of cost of preparation and printing, but the dislocation of olli.'o work, and the delay thereby occasioned iu the carrying out of essential service. He knew of cases where otlicers engaged in the preparation of plans and maps for such things as roads had to put aside their work in order that some return might be furnished. "We have in the past," he said, " been too ready 111 asking for these returns, and the Government have not been too ready iu opposing them."