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A telechiam in yesterday's issue Btated that the Hon Mr MoKenzie, Minister^ of Lands, will shortly pay a visit to the South for the purpose of addressing his constituents and replying to oertain oharges brought against him by Mr Spence, recenbly Commissioner of Crown Landß and Chief Surveyor in Southland, Our readers will naburally wane to know whab bhese oharges are, and for information on this subjeob we refer bhem to our fourth page, where they will obtain the information they seek for in a report of a speeoh reoently delivered by Mr Spence, in whioh he gives hia reasons for severing his oonneotion with the Civil Service, and we oan promise them that they will find ib very spicy reading. On the inorits of tho case we are not prepared to pronounOe ah opinion a* weare not suffl. oientiy acquainted wittefche details, havin* only road- Mr .Spenqe's Bide- of the question ib may, however, be interesting to learn what the Otago Daily Times has to say on the matber. • Oiir contemporary is very oubspoken, ac will be seen by the followiug ex-

traot from a leader whioh it devotes to the subjeofc:— "The perßistenfc obsfcinaoyof Mr MoKenzie in oonneotion wifch oertain ohanges in the staff of the Orpwn hknia Office at Inveroargill -jobstinaoy to all appoaratfoes having for. its object, the * thrusting: of a personal friend Into tlje position of Crown lands ranger for the. Southland distriot, while knowing full well thnt the appointment in question w*fjs nofc in tho publio interest -has oxoited a feeling of widespread disgust, in -the minds of Southland people. And fchat feeling of disgust should, with the publication of Mr Spance's telling indictment, now beoome general throughout fcho colouy. * * * * A stroke of the pen, and the Chief Commissioner received marching orders for another •iistriofc— after fche besfc pari; of a lifetime spent in carrying out hia arduous and responsible work as ohief surveyor, and, in hiß latter years' service, as chief surveyor and ohief commissioner oombined. Nor was there even vouchsafed to this old seryaufc of fche colony fcho Bafcisfaofcion of knowihg fchafc afc any rate bis fcransfor meant promotion. Thia would have lessened the humiliation of the blow, albeit; thafc hiß knowledge .of fche thousand and one duties of a quarter of a century's work in bis parfcioular distriot would be lost to fche oolony by a; needles*^ and despotic removal. Instead of promotion, however, Mr Spe'noe was allotted a posi'* tion in another portion of the oolony which he considered was equivalent to disrating him, even were thore to be iio alteration in hiß salary. * » The colony oannofc afford to lose such mon as Mr Speuco, bufc there is some satisfaction in knowing thafc he has done ifc go >d service in exposing the paltry littloness and the shameful disregard of fche publio interest shown by ono of its most prominent Ministers ; nnd ifc is also quite oertain fchat these timely revelations will induce such aotive watchfulness of that Minister's future conduct as may posßibly prevent the oarrying out of sohemeß even more largely inimical to the publio welfare. Unless we muoh mistake the publio temper, Mr M'Kenzie has this time overshot; the mark. A few more suoh instanoes of disgracoful favouritism, and of such reoklesß disregard of the important interests plaoed under bis control,, aud the Premier will find it absolutely neceaa-uy to relegate his Minister of .Lands to the comparative obsourity f rom whioh ifc aeems toler ably oleat he should hever have emerged." We are uot surprised that Mr MoKe zie deems the charge brought agaiust him of auffioient importance to necessitate a run down from Welliugton, and we shall look forward to bis repiy witb a considerable amount of interest, and, on its reaohing us, shall haye muoh pleasure in affording to ifc equal publicity to thab whioh we have given to Mr apenoe's attaok, The one should be ah taay as the other.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NEM18910527.2.9

Bibliographic details

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 124, 27 May 1891, Page 2

Word Count
657

Untitled Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 124, 27 May 1891, Page 2

Untitled Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 124, 27 May 1891, Page 2