PARLIAMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2628, 9 October 1909, Page 5

PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM

[Pick Pukss Association.| WELLINGTON, Oct. 8. In the House this afternoon Mr. Herdman, speaking on the first reading of the Public Service Bill, stated that the Bill would remove the abuses of patronage and place seeking. Ministers of the Crown would be freed from continual application for billets, and would be able to devote their attention to their proper duties. He referred to the Public Service Board of New South. Wales, which worked admirably, and quoted a letter from the Premier of Victoria, in which it stated that there was no desire to revert to the old system of patronage. The Bill proposed placing the Civil Service under the charge of one Commissioner, and two assistants, the former to hold office for seven years, and be only removable by Parliament; the service to be divided into four departments. Promotions and appointments would be under the control of the Chief Commissioner, as well as temporary appointments. Provision would be made for a Board of Appeal, consisting of a Judge of the Supreme Court, the Chief Commissioner and an officer belonging to the department of the appellant. The railways, police, arid education department;, would ho exempt from the operation of the Bill. He maintained that if the Bill passed it would revolutionise the Civil Service, increase its efficiency, and give satisfaction all round. It would also render unnecessary any retrenchment in the future. The crying necessity for reform was shown hv the statement of the Premer that a saving of a quarter of a million could be effected in the cost of the Civil Service.

The Premier protested at the discussion of a Bill on the first reading, and would move to amend the Standing Orders in that respect. It was unsatisfactory to debate a Bill before the House knew its contents. Mr. Herdman had just previous to the introduction of the Bill asked for the expenditure of a large sum of money in his own electorate, yet he professed to be an economist. Sir Joseph Ward denied that the Public Service Board had worked satisfactorily in Victoria. There was seething discontent with it. Only the House of Representatives could deal -with Bills involving the outlay of money, yet Mr. Herdman proposed that a Chief Commissioner under the Bill could only be removed from office by a vote of both Houses. Speaking on the retrenchment scheme, Sir Joseph Ward said the Government would take an early opportunity to explain its position” and review what had been done. He too'k exception to Mr. Herdman’s statement that the Bill would do away with the stuffing of persons into the Civil Service for political pur]>oscs. In no case had a billet been made for an applicant to the Railway Department, and the same could be said of the other branches of the service. He would deal more fully with the Bill if it ever reached the second reading stage. Mr. Massey reminded the House of the way its "rights and privileges had been curtailed, and said it was a strange thing that the Premier should take exception to Mr. Herdman speaking on the first reading. A similar thing had been done by the late Mr. Scddbn. Mr. Herdman had gone to a great deal of trouble to obtain his facts, but a stronger argument in favor of the Bill than all was the condition of the Civil Service. The present system was unsatisfactory and uneconomical, and there was a crying need for reform. It was a very serious state of affairs when we had one in every seven of the population dependent upon the Civil Service for a livelihood.

The first reading was agreed to by 56 to 6. Tile remainder of the afternoon was devoted to setting lip sessional committees.

EVENING SITTING

In the House this evening an Imprest Supply Bill was introduced. Replying to objections to the proposed deviation of the North Auckland Trunk line, the Hon. R. McKenzie explained that the interest of the community was the sole reason for deciding on the present route, which had been considered upon its merits. He. had no intention of being bound by engineers’ reports irrespective of his own judgment. The western route would be shorter, and less costly, and would serve more interests than the eastern route.

The House then went into Committee of Supply, and resolved to allot a sum not exceeding £722,000 by way of imprest for the year ending March, 1910. On resuming, the Premier, replying to Mr. Massey, said that the recent loan was for one million at par at .31per cent, interest, for a term not yet decided. The Imprest Supply Bill passed its final stages, and the House at 10.20 p.m. adjourned until Tuesday.