Paper arguing for unifying State social work services which are scattered among the Child Welfare Division of the Department of Education, the Welfare Division of the Department of Maori and Island Affairs, the Department of Health, Social Security, Justice and Education and Hospital Boards. Bagnall argues there is an unnecessary duplication of social services in New Zealand due to unnecessary division of labour across the different agencies resulting from the largely ad hoc nature of their development. Observes that the Needy Family Assistance provision in the Child Welfare Act can make families the target of ‘disturbing bureaucratic distortion of the original social welfare aim’ especially if a family’s wage earner is receiving the unemployment benefit. Further issues arise due to the Social Security Department’s tendency to disburse cash while the Child Welfare Division uses rental subsidies or grocery grants as these organisational arrangements and differing policies behind the payment of financial assistance are not always in the best interests of the client. Sees the need for the administration of a multi-racial social welfare agency. This general social welfare agency would include the present Child Welfare Service, the Social Security social work service, the Probation service, the Maori Welfare Division, and visiting teachers.