LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 88, 7 January 1908, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

■ ; . r IS THERE FAVOURITISM? THE PUBLIC SERVICE AND ITS FUTURE WELFARE. Sir,—Your timely artido " Is Favouritism?" and an article from a correspondent " One of the Public," havo caused tho .Public Service of tho ci£y:'tp gravely' consider our ! .'future prospccts." -.[''.With'tho-idvent';of itlfe'Ward Ministry great things woro: pro■mised us,' so far'-as'the' existing grievances (and thoro are many) is ooncornod, ■but,tho reverso : is tho:'caso'. "Under tho ;Seddon regime thorank and. filo had ; Bomo!.con-., sidoration, and a: case suuilav to tho onp under review would have, received'its duo re■ward very promptly. . Tho icareers of. Chief Dotectivo Jil'Grath and Detective Casselsaro well known,' besides other;cxcellent,''straight-. ■ forward, mdofatigablo: oflieors of the Service, •and for their;present positions I .they:havo no-' tiling to thank'the present.Government.--Judging by> the presentistatoof affairs,-a. halt ■ has been called,' and) 'no: doubt, .will remain until sonid.stringent move stakes place, and a thorough-cleaning up of 'the police administration' is .effected...This.'jsthe duty, of overy city 'member-to;.see -to. A numerous deputation of . members, I learn, woro bluntly ignored by' the' 'Northern- .Autocratic Minister of Police in their .efforts-'to .obtain jus'tico.for these two detectives, and. tho:'head ;of the Department, 'Commissioner' Dinnie,' in blocking their promotion./! • - : ' v - The,, samo,' thing '.is; practically -extaiil throughout .the Service;-'vThe-last .Estimates plainly show how tho wind is going to' blow. Large. increases have been given to tlie heads and thoso- in their immediatecircle—increases of, ,in some cases, £200,, :£125, numerous £50's, and so on,, while the rank and &lo arp at: a standstill. It is interesting, to note -the; trend of affairs in the apolitical machine at present. The Primer Minister, refuses ."to interfere with his Ministers,, the, Ministers refuse to interfere '.witli' the'.iDepaftiiiental ' heads, arid tho latter are 'really-goingHo- runthe 'Dominion. .The,' Government'- intention, is plainly set forth m-tho, composition of tho two Boards, vix,, tho Superannuation and tho Classification. ' In thd'former Board the-rank' and ilo"are allowed five representatives and tho 'heads; ahotlior five, presidod over, by- a Minister., : In the- Qassififcatib'n'fthe;'Bo,ara.;-is, to 'be ; composed-of ten heads- of Departments only. .A subordinate officer in case "of an inr justice may, appeal. to Ctcsar. from, Cansar, viz.,- from one head to ten. This is. liberal, and laughable. 'The Service has' reached tho apex. of. its.greatnessF What,"oil what-, .is tho-aftermath going'to be?• • " !; Tho. writer believes Sir Joseph Ward to .be a man of' kindly; interests'-'for the "Service like, the -leader of, the Opposition, Mr. Massey: but strongly, advises the -liead. .of vormhertt! to run and" ruld.: Kis'Cabm&t and. the Public;'Servifco, and, 1 above.all, "to releg'ato to their proper places thoso who _ are . endeavouring to- uWrp the..Prime Ministerial functions and. ru'u luin;,Further;, ho should adopt-, the' " for.titer. -.in to-"- ,iri; connection with those wHq : , are ;h6verinf arbujid him whispering., sweet -platitudes' in; his. ear , that ■ everything is all right,, otherwise, he^,will.assuredly . have tho unpleasant .education ,'of. finding that everything is,' very"; muchall - wrong.-'Wo are prepared, to' : _triist;thd Government at the prico'of baro -justice.,";' j.. ■As one of, the Service, I have.'mucli pleasure in thanking you, Sir," for'.-your-..'lead; in this mattor.—l am,-'etc;, ■ ;''-"t: ~ A CIVIL.SERVANT,OF OVER' ;' ; ' TWELVE YEARS' STANDING. ; .'.Wellington, January , 6:; '"' > :■ SOCIALISM AND SOCIETY. Sir, —As. an attentive auditor at; Mr. Keir H'ardie's address, at the Town Hall last evening, I' ask. your permission to address the fallowing inquiries through tilt medium of your paper.,to Mr. Hardie re .certain points that he failed to elucidate:—..-. (1) What .practical ... method._ does Mr. Hardio advocate to.establish Socialism? _.' ~'(2) Is'it, uotr.a-.fact-that oither, confiscation of all 'land,- -.oapitalj .v.etc'.V" or? a .wholesale scheme of purchase are the only possible alternatives.'' (3) Would not forcible confiscation be impossible without a physical force revolution, and how is it possiblo for Now Zealand to adopt, this, . method without.. severing its allegiance 'to.; the Empir.e' auii precipitating civil war? '. ■ ' ' ■ --. ' . • (4) Is not the .value of land.''and .capital'of the Dominion based, on, inflated valuos, and would not any compensation scheme bo ruinous! to.', the' nation .and create. an amy of privileged pensioners! 'and their descendants quartered indefinitely on tho toilersY . "(5) How is.it' possiblo to apportion reward 'to merit . when 'eliminated,. Unless equality ' of.' payment :,is adopted'; and •would not-this discourage invention and'individuality? , . ' ' '~(6) How does'the.o'iniership. of property exclusive of land values, .give s it's owner: power of coercion over other's? ' 'V'"".. (7.) Will not a singlo tax on' the site location value .of land, applied ",eqtially. -without ' exemptions, 'or graduations, sdlvo tho land question and. abolish vice and poverty ? (3) What essential difference is'tKcro between cortimunism and inodern":Socialism?. • -L trust that-Mr. Hardie will reply to these questions, in the interest of- the cause he represents and for-tlie' public enlightenment. -I am, etc., FRANK W. BURKE. ■ .-January 6. AN UNPLEASANT SURPRISE, Sir, —It will probably surprise your readers to hear that in the up-to-date, electriclighted, olectric-tram'ed, etc.-, etc., city of Wellington rotten garbage and refuso from backyards is still buried alongside a public and much-frequented'road'within the city boundaries, and not a stone's throw from residences. Yet such is the case on tiio Queen's Drivo, just out of Island Bay. Last summer the piece of road on tho way to tho Heirmit's Cave was rendered noxious by the process alluded to, and it bids fair to become so this summer also. I do not wish His Worship the Mayor any. Harm—quito tho contrary—but in tho interests of all who use the-said road T do wish he would got a'sniff such as wo are treated : to; when next •he comes round on his motor. ' I am quito cortain ho would' not be long in gimg instructions that the nuisanco ■ whs to be abated. —I am, etc!, ISLAND 1 BAY RESIDENT. Wellington, January 6. • -. -