THE PROPOSED CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 7166, 21 March 1887, Page 2

THE PROPOSED CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS.

[Special to the Star.J WELLINGTON. March 19. The ‘ Post 1 thinks the discovery that the document circulated as a Cabinet minute on Saturday was issued in error would not have been made as rapidly had it not so promptly exposed the absurd nature of the document as it did. In regard to a previous minute referring to the service, which was at once cancelled, it says“ In the present case the memo, or minute, or whatever it was, has been withdrawn, but as some attempt seems to be made to defend the proposals, we will state briefly what their nature was. It proposed that in future when any officer was promoted to a higher position he should, according to a sliding scale laid down, only receive a certain proportion of the salary drawn by his predecessor. The scale was as follows: Ah officer promoted to a position the salary of the former holder of which was L3OO a-year, should only receivenine-tenthsof that salary; of L 450 a-ycar, seventeen-twentieths; of L 650 four-fifths, and of L 750 three-fourths; and in like proportion with intermediate amounts. Let us sec how beautifully this would work out. An officer receiving Ll9O, and promoted to a superior office, the salary of which had hitherto been L2OO, would at once lose LlO a-year; for ninctenths of L2OO would only be LIBO. He might gain in position, but would lose in pocket. An officer in receipt of L4OO a - year succeeding one formerly paid L 450 would find himself cut down to L 382 10s, thus losing L17.10s on account of his promotion. An officer with L 550 promoted to an office previously worth L 650 would find himself reduced by L3O a-year ; while an officer in receipt of LCOO a-year who should be unfortunate enough to succeed a superior who had been drawing L 750 would find his salary reduced by L 37 10s per annum. The absurdity of such a system of promotion needs no comment, If introduced it would demoralise and disorganise the whole service. Apart from the merits or otherwise' of this particular circular; however, there is a principle, involved in the attempt to regulate the Civil Service by means of Cabinet minutes, instead of by regulations made under the Act by the Govcrnor-in-Council and duly gazetted. The system is a very vicious one, and opens the way to great abuses. Cabinet minutes are not binding on succeeding Ministries. They are made secretly, and can bo revoked secretly at any time. They are not—except some newspaper exposes them —known to the public, or subject to public or parliamentary criticism. Wo protest in the strongest manner against anything which leads in the direction of an assimilation of the practice of this Colony with that which prevails in America in regard to the relations between political parties and members of the Civil Service.”