The Press. TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1896. MR LECKY'S GLEAMS OF LIGHT.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9444, 16 June 1896, Page 4

The Press. TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 1896. MR LECKY'S GLEAMS OF LIGHT.

Our readers will have gathered from the brief review of Mr. Lecky's book, '* Democracy arid Liberty," whioh we published on the Bth instant, that on the whole the eminent historian takes rather a gloomy view of our existing institutions. It is only . fair to add that he is compelled to admit that /in England things are not so, bad as might be expected. The high standard of honour and ability in the permanent servants of the State is unimpaired. The competitive system of appointment to public offices, Mr. Lecky considers, in spite of some drawbacks, to have been a great blessing. In New Zealand, unfortunately, although entrance to the Civil Service is supposed to be guarded- by the competitive examination test as it is in England, the law is evaded by Ministers, and there are unmistakeable signs that the character of the service is deteriorating in consequence. " Not only are persons appointed without undergoing any examination at all, but even in cases where candidates have legally qualified themselves those of the " right colour " frequently get the preference. Legally the appointments ought to be offered to the candidates in the order in which they stand on the list, but it is well known that in many cases, particularly in the telephone appointments, qualified candidates who have been waiting for months, and even years, are often passed over in favour of new applicants, because the latter are able to " work the oracle " by means of political influence. The "spoils to the victors •" principle is a deadly foe to the efficiency of the public service, as wa shall find unless we speedily reform the abuse out of existence.

Reverting to Mr. Lecky, it is satisfactory to note that he considers the character of the English people as a whole has unproved. Most forms of grave crime have greatly diminished. Sixty years ago it was officially stated that one-fifth of the British Army had, during the two preceding years, passed through the common gaol. As to the improvement in the material lot of the working classes we gave some very satisfactory details yesterday on the .authority of Mr. Maixock. More cheering still to every lover of progress are the evidences quoted by Mr. Lecky to show that there has been a conspicuous improvement in the numanity of all. The artisan- in our

great towns, he tells us, has become one of the most orderly and intelligent elements in English life. The best index of the moral level of a community, Mr. Lecky holds, is to be found in the amount of unselfish action that is generated within it. How does England stand to-day tested by this standard ? Thi3 is Mr. Lecky's deliberate reply:—

*' I do not believe that there has ever been a period in England, or in any other country, where more time, thought, money and labour were bestowed on the alleviation of suffering, or in which a larger number o£ men and women of all classes threw themselves more earnestly and more habitually into unselfish causes."

Surely there is no need to despair of a country of which this can be said. If the heart of the nation is sound, we have every confidence that, even if her political institutions are defective, she will never go very far astray.