The Bruce Herald. "Nemo me impune lacesset." TOKOMAIRIRO, APRIL 6, 1877.

Bruce Herald, Volume IX, Issue 895, 6 April 1877, Page 5

The Bruce Herald. "Nemo me impune lacesset." TOKOMAIRIRO, APRIL 6, 1877.

A discussion which has been going on of late in Wellington has not been unproductive of good. It was concerning the clerks in the Civil Service stationed at Head-quarters, and" excited a more profound attention in the Empire C^y than if it had been a question of vital importance to the Colony. The hours of these gentlemen are from half-past nine to balf-past four. Half an hour is allowed in the middle of the day for lunch, and it is proposed to abolish tbe granting of that half hour. Not only that, but no clerk must leave the building during office houra without permission. Further, smoking is strictly prohibited during office hours. We will not trouble dis»cussing whether these rules preSs wilh undue harshness, but will refer to a few points regarding the Civil Service which halve arisen out of this discussion,, and out of other matters that have of late come before the public. One of them jb that in a Court case at Wellington it app&ared tbat a storekeeper in the Go vernment employ was also a -contractor for supplying materials to the Govern ment. tbe" transactions being carried on in the name of a dummy. The storekeeper carried on contracts in tbe dummy's name, receiving the profiiH He aiso kept books after office hours as " having only three pounds a week he was bound to do something." Some people may deem our ideas in the matter not strict when we say that we would not blame a clerk witb ample leisure who i found himself " bouod to do something " for keepiog accounts, provided it did not interfere with the proper performance of his duties. That he should take government contracts seems, however, to us to point to the existence of some extremely loose screws. It strikes us tbat while the heads of the departments are straining at tbe gnat which consists of a want, in tbeir estimation, of due subordination td them tbey are swallowing sundry camels in tbe way of winking at improper doings or overlooking what tbey should know the existence of. While sagely laying their heads together to consider whether they should let their subordinates take their lunch outside the precincts of the Government office they are overlooking or are oblivious to grave delirjquenciep, such asjhave accidentally Been the light Secondly, the discussion brings prominently before the people of the whole Colonythe fact that the big rattle trap ia which these 250 clerks are cooped up is made of wood (hence the reason given for prohibiting smoking), and people are again thus remioded that valuable records are in tbat town of earthquakes, and un substantial reclaimed land, exposed to tbe dangers of a conflagration. Then we have the case of the Gloucester. An important telegram is sent, and it is 26 bours before it is answered. It is pleaded tbat 24 hours elapsed before it got into tbe bands of the proper individual, but it has been conclusively shown that it was promptly delivered and in the right quarter by the Telegraph Office. Here we have a case of an urgent telegram not being responded to for a day, and then the answer was the stupid and ridiculous query, *' Is she quarantined ?" Of course she had been, and the idiot who sent tbe procrastinating and willy telegram should bave been relegated to an asylum for imbeciles. The question is a very serious one : Is the w rking of the Government of the country to depend on a telegram whicb, though safely transmitted, is not answered in time ? In the first place, when a telegram reaches Wellington, the official to whom it is addressed is not perhaps to be found, and when he is found it is doubtful whether he will condescend to transmit a timely answer. In the next place the telegram may have to be laid before a member who is perhaps travelling over some part of the country to which the wires have not been yet extended, or bas to be laid before some .central board who know nothing of local necessities. This is the most important matter of all. and ' How weare governed ?*' is a query which opens np wide fields for investigation and reflection. 'A minor though still important point is f Why should the records of the county be kept in a building whicb, from the material of which it is constructed, is greatly subject to risk of fire? also, "What is the necessity in a Colony of this si -.c for cooping up 2So|clerks in one building ? Would not true retrenchment lie in send ing many of them away from "Wellington, and not in wholesaleleductions in country plages and heaping numberless appointments on one man ? While tbe queries we have raised giye much scppe for reflection from a political point of yjew, we dp not think that the administrative part pf ! the subject is to fee passed over lightly. [Heads of departments wojild really be consulting their own dignity more if, inr- | stead of destroying the self-respect of tbeir ! clerks, they tried to get order and prompI titude out pf pba?B ?

AN irfqueat will be held on the fire at Messr-* Howorth' b farm Waiwera to-morrow. A eu-FLEMENTA&Y mail via San Francisco will be despatched from this office to-morrow (Saturday) evening at 4.45 ■ also the mail via Suez wil) clobo on Monday evening at 7.30. Barlow's Circus performed in Milton last night, and will again ■ perform to-night and tomorrow night. A mid-day performance will ulso be given for children, on Saturday. The gymnastic exercises of the two mere infants are very clever indeed. The dog and monkey performers are also well worth seeing. The horsemanship is excellent. Young and old equally enjoy the pleasantry and clever doings of the troupe, which will doubtless be well patronised during their stay. A tire took place in Mr Reginald M'Donald's timber yard, at Kaitangata, on Wednesday morning. Hi 9 hardware store and offices are consumed, and also 60,000 feet of timber. The fire was discovered at 2.30 a.m. by Malcolm Morrison, who resides some three chains distant, heard the crackling and proceeded to the scene, when he found the office and store in flames. Fire was also found in two other places, but was extinguished before any extent of damage was done. Mr M'Donald's books and papers are all destroyed. The safe did not resist the fire ; its contents are in consequence partially destroyed The property is insured in the Standard, Victoria, and National offices, but to what particular extent upon that destroyed cannot be ascertained as yet. the risks being spread over various buildings, timber; etc., contiguous. The Standard's total risk is £1000; the Victoria, £1500; National, unknown. Mr M'Donald waa at his private residence, the Q-ask, in bed as'eep at the time. An inquest will be held on Friday. A Clutha seUler has given us the perusal of a letter received by him from a nephew in England, who received his education in Russia, from which we extract the following remarks : — What a turmoil this Eastern Question is making in the world just now, though I trust all will be stttled amicably before this reaches you. As for me, 1 am, of oourse, quite on the Russian side. I say of course because no one with an educated mind could live aud be brought up, as I was, in thai country without loving and respecting the Emperor and the people, by whom we as a family have been treated well, and have never in any case found anything underhand or dishonorable among them. Tbe Emperor we all consider to be the' greatest and noblest man who is at preseut living, and when he nays a thing le means, it from his heart, though circumstances may force upon bim many things which appeur to foreigners like equivocations. Who .8 the mun wha does all he wishes. Therefore, please when reading accounts in the English papers remeu-ber they are all quite one-sided, and remember also that we who have passed our lives in the country know a thousand times more of the land than a parcel of. Cockneys who go out as newspaper reporters. But there I am sure you must be tired of hearing things in which you may not be interested, and leaving all the news to be written at home, and am merely writing this in chance you may take an interest in the country for which I claim the greatest future of any now existant.