A STRANGE APPOINTMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1162, 24 June 1911, Page 3

A STRANGE APPOINTMENT.

Sir,—Mr. E. J. Collins occupies the position of Auditor and ControllerGeneral iu tho Civil Service of New Zealand. Now, any ordinary male mortal would, consider tho duties of, and appertaining to, that position would be suilicient to occupy one man's time. Not so Mr. Collins. Like another Alexander, ho yoarus to conquer tush fields. The public real he is chief something or another in connection with the KiUo Association of New Zealand. Quito recently, it is officially (oh, that blessed word "o'ffichlly") announced, Lieut.-Oolonel Collins has been appointed Hon. A.D.C. to his Excellency tho 'j'ovemor. Doubtless his Excellency was advised 1 in regard to this appointment, but is it not a strange one. Of :ourse, his Excellency can appoint Lieut.-Colon-.'l Collins an Hon. .A.D.C., but is Mr. R. J. Collins Auditor, and Conh'jllei'-Gcneral, justified in accepting it.' I think not. In looking up the Public Revenues Act, 1910, I find Section 5 states: "Tlie Controller and Audi-tor-Gonerai shall not be capable of being a member of the Exccutivo Council or ot either House of Parliament, or of holding any office of trust or profit in the public I or any other service, other than his office hereby created," and Section G fixes the salary at .£IOOO a year. No doubt the position of A.D.C. is jurely honorary, but is it not possible for some expenditure in connection with Government House to be queried as to what it is to be charge:! to—say, for rrgurr.cnt, gardening or' some similar expense—whether it is to bo charged to some account in connection witj Government House itself or to a Public Works vote? I have not had an opportunity, nor have I the time, toi compare the Estimates of post years, but I have a distinct recollection of some dispute being inontimcd in Parliament in connection. I think, with the duly payable on the wines imported by one of our Governors. No.v, in such an event, I lake it. tho Controller and Auditor-General decides. If EOUI2 sirdi question again arises, would it not bo somewhat anomalous for the officer occupying that posititn to be also an Hon. A.D.C. to the Governor? I foir if the late James Edward Fitzgerald, when lie drafted the original Public Revenues Act, had thought for one moment that such a position would arise, then he would have taken good care to also insert the word "hcrorrry" in Section 5, as before quoted. On tho whole, I think it would have been more fitting if the Controller and Auditor-General did not. accont outside positions, even though such positions are honorary. Apparently it will bo incumbent for Pailiament to deal with this matter and limit tho occupier of the positi n frem accepting outside, though even honorary, positions.— I am, etc, ANXIOUS. New Plymouth, Juno 10, 1911.