RETRENCHMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 8478, 1 April 1891, Page 3

RETRENCHMENT.

TO THE EDITOB. Sir,—l mentioned lately that the Government, under the retrenchment, were making room for the appointment of Catholics, and although the Hon. Mr M'Kenzie denied this the facts are too evident. It is well known that the present Ministry contains some Ministers who are Catholics, and others who are in sympathy with them. I don't object to Catholics being appointed so long as they are not appointed simply because they are Catholics.

Our new inspector of police (Mr Hickson) had no better claim to the position than Inspector Moore, who has been retrenched, and Mr Hickson, who is a Catholic, fills his situation. Mr O'Grady, a Catholio, has been taken from the West Coast, where the Catholics gave a certain gentleman their support, and been appointed inspector at Christchurch. Inspector Pender, who is a Catholic, and who was to have been removed about ten years ago, has been appointed a resident magistrate in Canterbury, or is to be appointed. The publio will find whilst the Ministry are driving out of the service old servants and paying them compensation all vacancies in the police force, hospital, and gaols will be filled by Catholics. It is well known that Mr W. N. Blair had great difficulty in getting his present appointment through certain influences which were against him ; and it was only through the Premier (Sir Harry Atkinson), the Hons. Fergus and Hislop that he got justice. Let the public be on the look out, as the present movement, which is a catch one, so as to prevent the members of the Houße expressing an opiuion at the present moment, will not lead to retrenchment, but simply the pushing out of one set of men to put in another set.—l am, etc., Fair Play. Dunedin, April 1.