The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 1884. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1627, 7 March 1884, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 1884. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

Major Atkinson is now engaged in reforming the Civil Servico in tlio bis; Governroent Buildings. Departments are being amalgamated, and the scores of clerks in the twelve dozen big offices of our Civil Service palace are being dispensed with, It may be admitted that in the matter of civil servants New Zealand is overmanned, " the sail is bigger that the boat" the only question is how far the course now pursued by the Premier will remedy the evil Before a' thoroughly efficient and economical Civil Service can be obtained certain weak points in its administration must be remedied, and if Major

Atkinson's present raid on the civil servants does not touch these it must be i regarded mwo as a temporary expedient. Thoj Civil Servico as we under-j stand it is partly a political body. The best positions in it have frequently been given as rewards to politicians, and even inferior positions in tho Service are constantly placed at the disposal of members of the Legislature who wish to find situations for their proteges. Influences of this nature must deteriorate the tone and efficiency of the service. Ability, experience, and industry, must in many instances have to give way to the lucky possessor ot patronage. If Major Atkinson had set himself tho task of weeding out the incapable officers of the Civil Service we should have had more faith in the result of his effort to reduce tho cost of it, but this is a task that ho, with all his courage dare not attempt. Ec may, as it is rumored, save some £20,000 by abolishing some minor offices and dismissing possibly by hundred junior clerks, but against this saving there may possibly compensation claims, When the present financial strait is passed, it is probably that its growth will, from its present pruning, be all the more luxuriant, and the nett gain bo all but nominal. The ten per cent, reduction of salaries—the previous experiment made in Civil Service reform —was admittedly a failure, and tends to make people a little suspicious of Ministerial coup-d'-etat. The principle on which Civil Service reform should be based ought, in the first instance, to be settled by Parliatnen 1 ;, In the present attempt we fail to recognise any specific principle, on the contrary, the Major is carrying it out by a rule of thumb. We question whether there will be any real and substantial reform while the element of patronage weakens the service and obliges it to maintain a horde of State pensioners.