The Daily News. THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1922. EFFECTIVE ECONOMY.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 May 1922, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1922. EFFECTIVE ECONOMY.

While the proposals for economy in British administration, as set forth in the report of the Geddes Commission, are such as to cause almost a sensation, the result of the recent elections to the London County Council have emphasised in no uncertain manner the prevalence of a keen desire for effective economy and prudent administration in municipal affairs. These elections were contested by municipal reform candidates, who stood resolutely for economy in public affairs, and they scored a decisive victory, obtaining 82 seats as against 26 for the Progressives and 15 for Labor. The problem the London County Council has to face is the employment of a staff of fifty-seven thousand people, and an annual expenditure of thirty-one millions sterling. Before the elections took place the Special Committee on Organisation of the Council’s service had given serious consideration to the ways aad means whereby substantial economies could be effected, with the result that recommendations were made in an interim report for reducing the staff so as to save £50,000 per annum' and this was regarded as only the beginning of what was hoped to be accomplished by simplifying the organisation, coupled with efficiency. The question natt urally arises as to how it is possible to make such large reductions in expenditure and yet carry on the work satisfactorily. The answer is very simple, the cause being the same as exists in Government departments. The administrative machine has kept on growing, and become complex, with the result of overlapping and redundancy, no effective check or businesslike organisation being in force. This evil is common to most public bodies’ administration, and appears to call for a periodical overhaul so as to prevent extravagance or over-employment. There are, of course, other ways in which savings can be effected. For instance, it is claimed that the London County Council can, by securing a modification of the Horae Office requirements in rela tion to the renovation of tramcars, save, in labor alone, £35,000 a year if the cars are only overhauled and renovated on the completion of 75,000 miles covered, thus putting the Council on an equality with the railways. Th? magnificent victory which has been won in London by the Municipal Reform Party against the Labor-Socialist forces shows that even in the present distress, caused by unemployment and bad trade, the bulk of the pepole are not to be tempted to vote Socialist on promises of a new heaven on earth. The moral of this vie tory is plain enough for all to read, and it should not bp ignored by the Dominions in respect of their various spending department?. Though the amount involved is much less, the principle is the same. The public recognise that necessary works have to be undertaken, but the feeling is that they should get good value for the money they have to contribute: that the staffs should be kept down and so organised as to make for economy and efficiency. The ratepayers of the London Coun ty have set a good example, that may with advantage be followed throughout the Empire.