NEW DEPARTMENTS.
[To THE Earns OP THE "Swearer.."]
Sta,—Mr. John Dillon, M.P., is calling attention none too soon to the reckless creation of new Government Departments con- taining crowds of officials, which has been such a distinguishing feature of the last year or two. A comparison of the cost of Civil Service administration to-day and, say, ten years ago will reveal to the-taxpayer the reckless and improvident increase in expenditure. on buildings and officials, to say nothing of salaries and pensions. The latest attempt to create a new Department is in connexion with the so-called Ministry of Public Health. ,Wimat necessity is there for this? Public health is already looked after well by the Local Government Board and a crowd of officials, and has very wisely been decentralized into the hands of municipal bodies. There is not any public demand for change. The tendency of recent years has not been in favour of centralization; it tends to bureaucracy, inefficiency, endless and confusing regula- tions, improvident expenditure, and insolent attempts to curtail the liberties of the people. But while we are in the hands of men who regard Parliamentary life as a mere game of party politics we shall get no reform, and as one who hopes to be a Democratic Reform candidate at the next General Election, I empanel to.all those who agree with me not to permit themselves to be "bluffed" by the mere politician or party man, but to insist that, at least after the war, there shall be translated into reality the old watchwords of 1880—Peace, Retrenchments and Reform. Meanwhile in winning the war let us not overlook these attempts made to saddle us with new and gigantic financial responsibilities, allied. to increased officialism and decreased personal liberties. We do not want to be doctor-ridden.—I am,
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