H.—l4.

4

Dealing with the administration of justice and the maintenance of law and order, the largest increase has been in connection with the police, who do not come within the scope of the Public Service Act. In regard to Justice and Prisons, the growth has been no more pronounced than is justified by a normal expansion in sympathy with the increase in population. In connection with the developmental services, a fairly pronounced increase is to be observed, but this is to be expected in a comparatively young country as yet barely emerging from the primary to a stage of secondary development. Developmental Services. Department. 1913. 1923. 1928. Public Works .. .. .. .. .. 523 619 689 Agriculture .. .. .. .. .. 392 464 524 Lands .. .. .. .. .. .. 424 615 635 State Forests .. .. .. .. 17 92 109 Immigration .. .. .. ... 6 9 12 Industries and Commerce .. .. .. .... 13 12 Scientific and Industrial Research .. .. .. .. .. 44 The increase in the staff of the Public Works Department has been necessitated by the growth of activities in connection with railway-construction, roads and highways, and hydro-electric development. In the Department of Agriculture the expansion of activities gauged from the following analysis of staff growth, which is closely correlated with the growth of exports of primary produce :— 1913. 1923. 1928. Meat Inspectors .. .. .. .. 54 77 83 Stock Inspectors .. .. .. .. 40 92 91 Orchard Instructors .. .. .. .. 15 18 22 Dairy Inspectors .. .. .. .. 20 31 38 Professional Division .. .. .. 36 53 80 The position in the Lands Department can be attributed largely to the development of the soldier-settlers scheme. The number of field officers was increased from 28 in 1913 to 46 fifteen years later. In other Departments the increases have been due to normal development, while with the Departments of Industries and Commerce and Scientific and Industrial Research both of these are comparatively recent innovations for the promotion of the industrial development of the Dominion. In connection with the trading Departments, which may be grouped in the following table, the growth is also extensive, but, in common with other staff increases in the Public Service, these have been fully justified by the expansion of business. As the salary bills of these Departments are met from profits earned, the increase does not fall on the Consolidated Fund. Trading Departments. Department. 1913. 1923. 1928. State Fire Insurance .. .. ... 49 92 145 Government Life .. .. .. .. .. 149 131 113 Public Trust .. .. .. .. .. 180 511 555 State Advances .. _ ... 53 56 83 The apparent reduction in the staff of the Government Life Office is due to the transfer of the Accident Branch to the State Fire Office, which is compensatingly increased. The normal growth is also to some extent obscured owing to the transfer of the charing staff, messenger staff, and actuarial staff to the Internal Affairs Department. The staff of the Public Trust Office has shown phenomenal growth, but this has been in harmony with the enormous expansion of the business of that Office. The State Advances Office may be grouped under the heading of development, social service, or trading —as its functions may be so described, but its staff has of necessity been increased with the growth of business. After eliminating the above-mentioned Departments, the growth of which has been merely in accord with the normal progress of the Dominion, there are left the purely administrative Departments, under which head may be grouped