The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1909. FALSE PROMISES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2671, 29 November 1909, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1909. FALSE PROMISES.

Some twelve months ago the country was startled by the announcement of the Premier that the Government was about to embark upon ' a great retrenchment policy. The Civil Sendee was to he re-organised in such a way that whilst efficiency would not be sacrificed a saving of £250,000 annually would be effected. Naturally, the admission that such economy was possible seemed to fully justify tile Opposition contention that the Civil Service had long been administered in a most extravagant fashion. This conclusion was irrsistible, for if a quarter of a million sterling could be deducted from the annual expenditure without impairing the work done by the State it was obvious that a fearsome waste, must have been going on before. However, in its gratitude for the saving that was to help to tide over the bad times the public felt more disposed to thank the Premier for his promised reform than, to censure him for past extravagance. Sir Joseph Ward's announcement was followed by particulars of the manner in which departments were to be reorganised, and civil servants all over the Dominion commenced to quake in their shoes at- the uncertain tenure of their billets. Alany were dismissed, and their outcries were followed by offers of bush sections. Aleanwhile Sir Joseph left for England and the whole matter was left in abeyance pending his return. The sequel is provided in the Estimates that accompany the Financial Statement. The actual reduction of the Estimates .for the current year as compared with tho.so of last year is £62,402, which is a long way short of £250,000. In an endeavor to make these figures more satisfactory than they really are the Premier explained that the saving was greater than it appeared, inasmuch as a number of increases had been avoided. He claimed that in tbc- ordinary course of events increases in expenditure would have occurred, hut by preventing the increase he had justified his retrenchment promises. This is nothing more nor less than an apology for having failed to carry out his promises. When a reduction of £250,000 was announced the public naturally assumed that the expenditure ruling hitherto was to bo lessened by that amount. Now we find that the sum of the retrenchment proposals- to date is an actual saving of £62,000 instead of £250,0-00, and a statement that the. Government is not going to permit increased expenses in certain directions' where an advance might under other circumstances have been made. For the rest Sir Joseph asks members to suspend judgment until more detailed information is supplied next year. Air Alassey's complaint that ‘'no hint had been given as to how the work of retrenchment was being carried out,” is certainly justified, and we are all, as Air W. Fraser said, “unable to rorni any idea of the saving effected by the retrenchment scheme of the Government until the Estimates for next'year were presented.” The position is far from satisfactory, and one can only assume that the retrenchment proposals like many other planks in the Government policy are likely to come to an untimely end. No other Premier has equalled Sir Joseph Ward in the making of heroic resolutions, hut the manner in which his courage oozes out when the time- comes for carrying tnem into effect is fatal to any reputation for statesmanship. After, all the present position is but another eviuen.-n of the essentially unsatisfactory character of political management. As the Wellington “Post” says“ Ministers have doubtless been doing their best-, but in a piecemeal, unscientific and unbusinesslike fashion, and while. Sir Joseph Ward urges us to suspend judgment until more detailed information is supplied next year, we have all seen and heard quite enough to make us very uncomfortable. In seeking for a cure for the evils of political control through the same kind of control the Government is merely applying to the patient ‘a hair of the dog that bit him.’ Why will not the Premier carry his virtuous resolve to its logical conclusion by having the whole service reviewed and overhauled by a- commission or committee of business experts free from political or departmental entanglement of any kind?” ,