NEW ZEALAND'S TASK.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3184, 8 May 1909, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND'S TASK.

Something like a thunderclap has broken over the heads of the Civil servants of New Zealand, but they cannot say there has been no presage of the coming storm, says the Sydney "Morning Herald." Civil Service reform has been a stock platform subject for a dozen year 3. It is one of the things New Zealand Liberalism has always been inclined to shirk, and except for a spasmodic reduction of salaries ail round in the eighties, which naturally did not last very long." the service has grown continuously until it is now admittedly and absurdly overstaffed This lis allowed even by the Opposition, inasmuch as Mr Massey has been a plaintive and ineffective preacher of economy in administration ever since kia advent 15 years ago. All he can now protest against is the cutting off of excrescences by one stroke of the sword, instead of by gentle cheeseparing. But timid pruning never yet accomplished anything worth doing in the way of retrenchment* and there will be quite enough influences brought to stay Sir* Joseph's hand even though he sets forth as a -most quixotic knight of economy. There is, it is true, no panic about the present movement, which is simply the fulfilment of pledges given on the eve of the last general election. But ; things are not quite as buoyant as ■ they have been during the late, span , of wonderfully prosperous years. ( and ' an over sanguine Treasurer has reduced revenue of late by remitting taxation on quite a large scale. There is therefore immediate reason for taking the business ot Civil Service reform in hand. Over the last four or five financial years the revenue has increased by over '.£2,000,000; but the expenditure has • grown nearly as fast, and this means that the £500,Q00 or so of taxation , remission has to be partly found out ■* of savings. Still there is no acu,te financial position in sight, and Sir Joseph can go about his task in a cool and businesslike, way. How much room there is to work in can be seen from the bare fact that the proposition is to reduce no less than 37 unwieldy and overmanned Departments to 16. This over subdivision of administration is in itself a fruitful source of waste;, for it implies long lists of highly paid Departmental heads in the first place, and an enormous amount of official routine is • the second when officers of different Departments have to work together. The amalgamation process will get rid of aa great deal of this, if it is fearlessly carried out,, and there need be no fear that efficiency will be diminished. We may take |it as an

axiom that every Civil Service tends to overgrow, and requires revision at least every decade. The task is not a pleasant one, but it is a duty no honest administrator should try to avoid.