THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1913. A PUBLIC WORKS BOARD.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 9 December 1913, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1913. A PUBLIC WORKS BOARD.

'J'ho Reform Government is pursuing a course wliicli is in the very best interests of the Dominion in securing advice from bodies of experts on questions affecting departmental administration. The practice under "Liberal" Governments has been one of centralisation, which lias meant patronage and inefficiency. There is not a department of State—the railways, the Post Offices, the Department of Agriculture, the Education Department—that'has' not suffered in consequence. How much money has been wasted through billets in railway workshops, telephone exchanges, and other departments through political influence being brought to bear, ■'nobody will ever know. The heads of Departments are popularly supposed to have an expert knowledge, and to direct Ministers in their administration. Hut everybody knows that , these gentlemen, with a few exceptions, have), been square pegs in round holes —-that they have been thrust into positions bv political influence, and that they have had to dance to the tune of patronage throughout the piece. We once heard a Superintendent in charge of railway workshops say that ho would put through one-third more work with one-third less hands if ho

had only tho power of selecting his own men. Unfortunately, however, the power of selection was not his. It belonged to Ministers and( members of Parliament. Hence the revenues of the country were being squandered on a huge and corrupt system of buying votes. • The Reform Government had not been five minutes m office before, it realised the scandalous waste that had been going 011. It would have been easy enough for Mr Massey and his colleagues to have followed? the beaten track, and to have utilised the Public Service as an electioneering machine. But the Premier had higher notions of statesmanship'than that. At tho risk of losing votes, and at the peril of being viciously attacked by place-seekers, ho has determined upon reforming the administration of the whole of the services of the State. The Public Service Act has been - placed upon the Statute Book, and this in itself, though not perfect in detail,* will have an immense influence upon public morality and, upon the system of government. If the Reform Government should do nothing else during the period of its occupancy of the Treasury benches than lift the Public Service from the condition of political subserviency into which it had fallen, it will have earned the everlasting gratitude of the people. But it has already done more than this. Following'the example set "in Great Britain and other older countries, it has passed legislation with the object of setting up a 'Board of Agriculture which shall advise the Minister on .matters affecting one of the most important branches of our public service. Its n<?xt step in the direction of reform should be to set up a Council of Education, and following' this should come a Public Works Board. Possibly there is no reform that is more urgently needed just now than in the method of public works expeJiditure. The Minister of the day has a responsibility put upon his 1 shoulders that no single individual should be asked to accept. He ,is pursued 'by members of Parliament, Chambers .of Commerce, local authorities and private individuals, all seeking a share 'id • the division of the public works spoil, if he .makes more extensive grants in one district than in another. he is charged with political partizanship, or with an attempt to bribe or punish the electors. His ' motives, though they be the purest and most statesmanlike, are always open to suspicion. This is a most unsatisfactory position in which to place a Minister of the Crown. In the bands of a Minister whose first consideration is the retention of office, the; public works fund jgaay be administered in a most corrupt and lop-sided manner, It is fortunate tliat in the Hon. W. Fraser we have a Minister of integrity, .a man who would not descend to vote-catching tactics. Still, judging from the criticisms that are being levelled at him in various parts of the Dominion, his division of the money at TTTs disposal is causing disappointment and heartburnings. We repeat that no Minister of the Crown should be placed lin such a position that his motives are suspected. Pie should have the advice of experts, , and he should following , this advice, as far as funds and circumstances will permit. For this reason we would urge upon the Government the advisability of setting up a Public Works Board, which shall investigate the requirements of each district, and recommend what railways, roads, bridges arid public buildings are necessary for the development of the country. If this were ; done, much of tiie extravagance that has been witnessed in recent years would avoided, and Parliament would hot be a glorified Road Board, as it is a£ present.