LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 416, 27 January 1909, Page 9

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

"THE GOVERNMENT STROKE." Sir—Much haß been said in the past few days re "tho Government stroke" as adopted by tho workers in tho various railway workshops. It Would not be out of place if an tVx;usation of the same kind was charged against tho persons in charge' of the. Good's Department over that portion of line recently acquired by tho State. The writer consigned, to Levin from Palmoratoii North goods oil tho 20th instant. Up to tho present ' date they, have not arrived at their destinaton, aiid from inquiries made their whereabouts are not known. Perhaps the insertion of these remarks in your' paper may he tho means of remedying. such a state of affairs as now exist.—l am, etc., ■ GOODS. Palmorston North, January 25. is astonishing how readily people rush into print opinions upon matters, they kiiow comparatively little about. The "Government stroke" has , been the butt of the .superficial mind ever since the phraso was invented, and so far no voice has been raised in its defence. That the servants of the Government apparently/discharge their onerous duties m a leisurely .manner is not denied, 1 but when subject receives that duo consideration which it merits the. explanation is both reasonable and Simple. ' . In drdiilary commercial circles the hustling, rushing, 1 and frequently impolite employee no doubt attracts ,tho attention of his employer, and thus attains promotion, but in the .Government ' service , such a display of misplaced energy: would have the effect of rousing hostile-feelings on, tile part of those above him, who would regard any such departure from the best traditions of the ser-vice-as a direct reflection updn tho-dignified discharge .of' duty-—if not a menace to their positions.;. Promotion in ..the' Government service is.fortunately not to'be obtained by such commonplace methods, but by a due and tactful regard for tho 'opinions and prejudices of those with whom promotion lies. Further, the .Civil Servico.is to a, great extent made up of-gentlemen who, have accepted . service with the Government .after having retired from 1 occupations more suited, to the vulgar hustler.' .The knowledge acquired, however, iti such occupations still i remains, and. enables the Civil Servatitma'.tcrially to. increase /the income which lie derives from tho State. Few people realise hqw many servants of . tiie Government .toil.' after hours and during holidays at pebupa-. tioris tho knowledge of which they have to a certain extent. acquired in bygone days/ chitectural "work, auditing, rent-collecting, bodk-kedping—and,. in fact, almost every culling and trade of: the ordinary citken and shopkeeper engages tho Civil Servant. for more, hours than tho crude critic of the curbr stone imagines. Nothing but the merdiless cruelty of ignorance ' ■would, expbi^t. Irtih a Civil Servant who;had spent the preceding--' night in the exhausting work: of. keeping a set of books or mending a clock, and thus adding to liis income, that; restless ; and' objectiohablo energy which.- finds favour in tho open market. It is surely" time tha,t the public Realised the true.; position,artd. refrained from heartless criticism. l The: ."Government'stroke," instead of a' should •become a term of praise for .the Civil Servant, who martfully tadkles his work in the morniiig afte-Weary hours spent in ordinary trade occupations. —I am, etc., -A SERVANT OF. THE PEOPLE. January 28;, ' -. . • . : . Sir,—As ono who litis worked for'considerable- periods, on' the constructive ahd main-; tbnarice staffs of our. railways,-1 cannot avoid a. .feeling df more than; passing interest overtlip attack on the men- employed at the Aldington-workshops. : That the charge niay. or. otherwise I do not concern myself. Oirthd ;othcr hajid, there * are a 'feiv points do,well,'.'to 'note. v railways) Mr., Ronayne,, it '• is; evident; lacks , thqse./capabilities which it is contended : Uie, : nien'in the .workshops do, not :possess,\pr pos-. s'essihgj fail to ..make" use of . . How must ;\ve; regard .-the man, at' tho head, of any business who, confessedly, is reduced, to the necessity of. accepting. -ioutside .information regarding .the controlling of affairs Which,', if-He under-' stands his work' as ho ought, 'should- ptesent • no.rdal difficulty to him? . ; Granted .for r.rgu- : rnent. sake the allegations of this .mysterious .'■export", ai'o ' well . grounded. Has ' tho General .Manager been the victim'of a Departmental conspiracy,'-.itiasnvuch .as the natural channels through wliiclr ono would imagine lie would seek all . information connected with any branch of . his Department,. have presumably, been closed to- him P It ■ must be painfully. evident by now to every sano iier- , son in.. the, Dominion .that Mr... Rimayne's 3tdck of discretkHi—a most- essential qualification one would, fancy for a successful General Manager of;' RiiilwayS;-~is small. Mbi'o'rtliaii- likely the. \vliole affair -iVill;:'..if properly, investigated, be/.shown to ho., a' mare's-nest: The : veriest- tyro'must' be aware how mischievous an incident of this natiito is likely ,to become, ;and tho effect; it : will pro-' . ■ ily have. on people in other: countries who. ,®*.y have any particular interest in thd wellarp. of . Now Zealatid. I consider that ill right-thinking people will agree with ; ' mei whett I sa s v that the publication of the letter, | with inseparable commentafy is,: putting ! it mildly, a stupid blunder, iuid can servo no useful purpose: I wonder why, in attacks ;of this description,' the, . viotinis ~ .'generally, chosen are, in the naturo of things, the menleast able to defend themsolves. Why tlo those übiquitous "exports"- confino their wonderful perspicacity'' to this side, of ( tho office counter? 11l my peregrinations-droiud railway'yards, I meet lots of men who, apparently,-have much softer'billets: They also have a vote I . am told. v Anyway, the chances of any of those lazy, loafing,,common '.workmen ever rising to .the dignity of General Manager of Railways, whatever their abilities or political colour, are very small.— I am, .etc., •: - NON SKQUITUR. . [We have had to abridge this letter.]