PARLIAMENT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 98, 11 September 1912, Page 4

PARLIAMENT

i TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1912. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ' By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Niatt The House met at 2.30 p.m. REFORM OP THE UPPER HOUSE. Mr. Massey announced that lie would bring before the House to-morrow a measure to reform the Upper House The Bill would not be on the same lines as the Bill introduced in the Upper House, but would aim at reform of that institution. PUBLIC SERVICE BILL. Mr. Herdman moved the second reading of t'he_ Public Service Bill. He said that the Bill aimed at giving satisfaction to those employed in the public service. Dissatisfaction and discontent were manifest in the service. The fact that the Mackenzie Government had set up a Royal Commission to enquire into the ramifications of the service had been the strongest condemnation of it. The report of that commission condemned the system which was at present in force. So far as he knew, a: Civil Service Commission was in operation in England, and giving complete satisfaction. The Bill he was introducing was modelled on Australian legislation, which he believed was also working satisfactorily. He ihad received replies to letters from Australia, from Mr. Holman, Attorney-General of New South Wales, inioiming him that the Civil Service Commission gave satisfaction, 'eliminated political patronage, and promoted the ef- ' fluency of the service and content therein. The control of the service by a commission did not show that it was more unsatisfactory than control by a Minister. It also lessened detail work for the Minister. Similar replies had been received from other Australian Sates. The Prime Minister then referred to the report of the Civil SerVlc<; Commission, which, he said, was f n .# 1 le mo9 k valuable documents ever aia before the House. The Commission had pointed out the evils of the backdoor. This Bill made the back door evil absolutely impossible. This Bill aimed to make merit, and merit alone, count He cited figures showing the increases in 'the number of civil servants and the salaries paid to them during different periods between 1007 and 1912. There had been an increase in civil servants of 4950, and an increase in the amount paid -as salaries of £714,000 for the period. Reverting to the Bill, the Prime Minister said that the Commissioner would received £I3OO annually, two 'assistant commissioners would receive £ 800 each, all to be charged on the consolidated fund. The Commissioner may be suspended or removed for misbehaviour or incompetence by the Governor, out shall not be removed from office before Parliament had acquiesced in such removal. The House adjourned at 5.30. The House resumed at 7.30. Mr. Herdman, continuing his explanation of the Bill, said that it was provided that extra clerks could be employed in " the public service .for a period of three months only. A special aim of the Bill was that fitness should govern promotions. '

Sir J. (r. Ward said that the Minister thought that the change <of administration proposed would remove a cause of discontent and dissatisfaction. He held that the course of nature could not be altered, although the Minister might desire it. When Mr. Herdinan spoke of an increase in the civil service he omitted to take into consideration the fact that the population liad increased by leaps and bounds. The Bill provided 'for one min to control the whole of the civii service. They had two assistant commissioners, but they were under the control of -the Commissioner. Who, be asked, was going to supply information of , efficiency, etc., to the Commissioner? It must' be the heads of departments. The proposed Commissioner 'had far too much power. The Commissioner would be amenable to influences, and so would th# assistant commissioners. In his opinion the only men in this country who wanted a public service board were those who were at the top. In three years the whole rank and file of the service would be up in arms against it. He was convinced that the Bill, though it would go through, was a retrograde step. Mr. Fisher said that the Civil Service Commission had really found that the civil service was an excellent one, in spite of its conditions. He could &av that the civil servants disliked the present system as much as anything. What the Bill aimed at wa& doing away with political influence. The recent commission had found that inefficiency and extravagance (had been rewarded in the public service. The Commission said that_ there had been no system irf» the appointment of public servants. There was a stifling in the service of ambition, and discontent was rife throughout. A number of men in the service were devoting most of their time to acquiring knowledge to enable them to pass examinatioiw, not for the betterment of the service, but to enable them to get out of it. He would admit that the Commissioner may be approachable by some people, but be would point out that a Minister could be approached by anyone. The system advocated was not complete, but it was the best tbat could be advocated. Mr. Wilford said that a blot on the report was that the Commission did not distinguish between merit and ability. He asked whit was to become of temporary men in certain offices, who, if the Bill passed, must be dismissed. There was no provision in the Bill by which anyone could demand to be heard on appeal. They wanted, under the Bill, to get away from political patronage, but the Government under the Bill was the Ministry of the day, and would leave Ministers with as much political patronage as before. Mr. G. M. Thompson concurred with a speaker wfho said that a number of civil servants were spending most of their time working 'up for examinations to enable the-n to get out of the service. He did not think any man over thirtyfive should be asked to sit for exanraa< tion. - ♦! Mr. Hannn sail that before asking the House to pass the Bill the Minister should bave proved that where civil service boards bad been established the ! service is in a higher state of efficiency that in countries where there was no such controlling body. Mr. Massey said that the effect of the Bill was to promote the efficiency of the service. He held that there was 110 suggestion to abolish boards in Britain. The setting up of a commission there was simply to ascertain if it were possible to effect improvements in several 'departments. He contended What there waa no analogy between 'the Railway Commissioners' and the Public Service Commissioners. The former had to control the whole service, which did not apply to the Civil Service Commission. If the right to appeal was not clear in the Bill he was prepared to make it so in committee. He agreed that the civii service was equal to any in the world, but whs sure that, those in the service were iinximis for the passing of the Bill. Voices: No; most are against it.