STATE EMPLOYEES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 September 1938, Page 3

STATE EMPLOYEES

EXPANSION IN NUMBERS UNDER LABOUR RULE COMMENT BY ASSOCIATED CHAMBERS. POSITION OF THE TAXPAYER. "An easy way to deal with the unemployment problem and to create a demand for .workers in private industry, trade and commerce, is to increase the number of State employees," says the Associated Chambers of Commerce of New Zealand, in a statement. ‘ Since the financial year 1935-36, the Government has been making rapid and substantial additions to the State payroll, and the number of additional persons directly dependent on the State for their livelihood has now become distinctly alarming. "Investigation of official records shows that, for the financial year now current (1938-39), the Government has obtained financial authority from Parliament for the following increases in the number of State employees as compared with 1935-36: —■ InDepartment. crease Legislative 24 Prime Minister’s 17 Treasury 7 Customs 92 Income Tax 76 Audit 16 Stamp Duties 13 Public Service Commissioner .... 27 Internal Affairs 267 External Affairs 3 Printing and Stationery 21 Marine 36 Labour 91 Native 146 Valuation 19 Electoral 9 Census and Statistics 51 Justice and Prisons 92 Police 232 Army 84 Naval Defence 307 Air Defence 741 Lands and Survey 58 Agriculture 232 Industries and Commerce 71 Scientific and Industrial Research 202 Mines 4 Transport 126 Health 234 Mental Hospitals 469 Education 258 Pensions •* 111 State Coal Mines 12 State Forests 42 Working Railways 6,800 Postal and Telegraph 2,1951 Public Trust' 56 Public Service Superannuation .. 2 State Fire . 25 External Marketing 116 Internal Marketing 101 Broadcasting 496 Iron and’Steel Industry 10 State Advances 854 Unemployment Administration .. 345 Public Works Maintenance 1 Public Works Departmental .... 295 Public Works workmen 10,160 25,646 Less reductions in other departments 15 Total net increase .... 25,631 “These additional employees have been engaged at the rate of 10,000 in 1936-37, 7000 in 1937-38 and 8000 in 1938-39. “A number of the services listed above, such as the post and telegraph and. other departments, are self-sup-porting. nevertheless, the staffs are all State employees. Justice, law and order, and defence are essential services, that must be provided for in any country, but the personnel of numerous other departments has been increased to an extraordinary extent. For instance, the total personnel of the Transport Department has been increased, as compared with three years ago, by 203 per cent; Health by 42 per cent, Railways by 40 per cent, Scientific and Industrial Research by 105 per cent; Internal Affairs by 30 per cent; Agriculture by 30 per cent; Labour by 64 per cent; Native by 72 per cent; Education by 32 per cent; Pensions by 63 per cent; Land and Income Tax by 30 per cent; Public Service Commissioner by 150 per cent; Industries and Commerce, Tourist and Publicity by 31 per cent; Unemployment administration and collection by 40 per cent. “The taxpayer has a lively interest in these additions, because thousands of the extra employees are a direct charge on State revenues, which come principally, of course, from taxation. He is entitled to an explanation by the Government as to how many of these extra employees are necessary because of the normal growth of State departments, and how many have been engaged by the Government simply for the sake of giving them jobs. The latter aspect is important, because then taxpayers will know how much they are paying to deal with the unemployment situation, over and above the £5,377,000 they are already providingin unemployment taxation on their wages this year.” .