Submission to Royal Commission on Government Administration (continued)

The present channelling of liaison with other Departments through central office of the Department of Science seriously inhibits and impedes the effectiveness of Bureau activities, Dr Gibbs maintained in public evidence.

For efficient operation it is necessary to have more autonomy for the Bureau, as was the case when the Bureau was located in the Department of the Interior with Mr Kingsland as Permanent Head.

Commenting on Dr Gibbs public evidence, the Department, in its own submission to the Royal Commission had remarked we are in no position to disagree with the Director's repeated comments that control was more lax in earlier times but why this should have been the case we do not know.

In his confidential supplementary submission, Dr Gibbs retorted—a careful examination of the Director's submission demonstrates that this statement is a gross misrepresentation. There was no suggestion in the Director's submission that the control was lax. The granting of a considerable measure of autonomy to the Bureau by Mr R Kingsland . . . resulted in a more efficient operation of the Bureau than is the case under the present system . . .

The statement in the Departmental submission is therefore false in two respects. It misrepresents the statement in the Director's submission and draws an incorrect inference that Mr Kingsland's control was lax.

The above extracts from the article graphically illustrate the frustrations which arose when Sir Hugh disregarded the Meteorology Act and channelled liaison with other Departments through his office causing an unnecessary workload, and reducing the Bureau's effectiveness.

Bureau of Meteorology