Report of the British Economic Mission to Australia

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 179824683X

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-182286

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Report of the British Economic Mission to Australia

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: His Majesty's Stationery Office

Year of publication:: 7th January 1929

Scope:: 63 S.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Supplementary memoranda

Collection:: Economics Books

a attempt to introduce into the Civil Service a body of men designed from the outset to discharge the higher Functions of the Service, as the Higher Division of the British Civil Service is, and qualified to do so by more sub. stantial educational equipment than that possessed by those who enter under the present system. It is true that some encouragement is given to those men to widen the scope of their knowledge by attending evening and other classes at ‘the Universities, but this practice does not produce the same effect as would the introduction of a “cadre” of men who have had the highest education in their youth, and is uneconomic in that the start is not made with the best material available. Any such recruitment should, of course, be on an equal foot- ing for all, that is to say, by open competitive examination, and we do not suggest that men should be appointed merely because they have a University or other qualification, except, of course, in the case of purely technical posts. Examinations should be open to men from the Mother Coun- try and from other dominions, as those tor the British Civil Service are now open to men from all the dominjons— uot merely because by this means the men with the best qualifications might be obtained, but because any such system might conceivably lead to a freer interchange of thought and practice. . These objects might also be attained by interchange for temporary service of Australian civil servants with those of the Mother Country and of the other Dominions. 4. We think that the efficiency of the Civil Service of Australia would be strengthened if the conditions of employment were uniform and officers were freely interchangeable between the Commonwealth and the various States. In any case we think that ib would be to the advantage of the Commonwealth and of all the States that transfers should be freely made where positions of importance have to be filled in any of the Civil Services. 5. We consider it a serious anomally that there should be a conflict of authorities governing the Services and the conditions of employment of ficers, namely, the Public Service Commissioners and the Arbitration Jourts. More than one body deals with the same questions, and a Court cannot possibly have that intimate wmowledge of the affairs of the Ser- rice. which is available to the Public Service Commissioners. The Austra- ian Services are zealous and loyal, but she system is not well calculated to promote those qualities which, above all, should characterise a Service en- rusted with. the administration of Government business. We take the ‘ollowing extract from the annual re- dort of the Commonwealth Public Ser- vice Board, 1925: — ‘“ It is, however, anomalous that while the Public Service Board is vested with authority under the Public Service Act to inquire into methods of management of depart- ments with a view to more econo- mical working and to fix rates of payment in accordance with the ascertained relative value of the duties performed, awards may be made from time to time by the Public Service Arbitration Court varying the decisions of the Board. Under existing legislation two separate authorities are engaged without co-ordination on the same task of adjudicating on the "emuneration of public servants. * Duplication of authority in determining the conditions of em- ployment of public servants is opposed to the public interest, and presents a problem in legislation which must sooner or later be faced. In the opinion of the Board the time has arrived when serious consideration should be given to the establishment of a proper co- ordination between the functions of the Public Service Board and those of the Public Service Arbi- trator in the determination of salaries, wages, hours of duty and overtime.’?

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