A Retrenchment Incident.

Evening Star, Volume 8505, Issue 8505, 2 May 1891, Page 2

A Retrenchment Incident.

The slap-dash style in which some of the Ministers are playing the borlesque on retrenchment would be ludicrously absurd, if it were not for the evil results produced by tbeir fantastic tricks. As a sample, we may mention the following apparently well-founded rumor. A certain Minister went to one of the principal officers of his department, and said: “Mr Blank, you will have to cut the number of officials in your room down to .” The officer asked if it would not be well to put off the redaction until the annual returns had been got ready for Parliament—a work which they were just about to begin. The Minister was, however, too high and mighty to stoop to the consideration of such petty matters as returns. He replied: “ Oh, Mr Blank, if yon don’t care to do it I will.” Taking his pen he drew it through the names of the doomed officials on the list before him, and the retrenchment business in that room was finished. In due course the discharged officials got tbeir compensation and left the service. The Minister shortly afterwards set ont for a distant part of the colony. Meanwhile nothing was being done to prepare the retains, as there were no officials to do the work. Mr Blank telegraphed to the Minister asking how he was to get tße returns completed, as no provision had been made. The Minister wired back telling Mr_ Blank that he ought to have Informed him about those returns before the men had been discharged, quite ignoring the fact that be had been told most distinctly. He instructed Mr Blank to take on the old hands, as they knew the work, and pay them 10s a day. The offer was made, but politely declined by the retrenched, who refused to come back unless paid at the same rates as before their dismissal. There was no help for it, as the work had to be done quickly, and only skilled men could execute the task in proper time. The old hands were therefore temporarily employed on the terms they had asked for, and they are now engaged on those precious returns. —‘Timaru Herald.’