THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1894.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10239, 22 December 1894, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1894.

Our Auckland special correspondent in his letter published by us on Thurs- j day referred to the Premier's defence j of the way in which civil sendee j appointments hare been made. We have read a report of his remarks in | the Auckland papers. At one part of his speech he repudiates the spoils-to-victors system, and at another he approves of it. With great unction he says the Government have appointed no cadets save as the law allows, and that though they have chosen " experts " the law permits this, and no wrong has been done. The defence is another specimen of the Premier's unveracity. Let us state what the law is and what the Government has done. Under the Civil Service .Reform Act of 1886 there are practically three classes of civil servants. There is the clerical class, there is the expert class, and there is the messenger class. !No one can obtain a position in the clerical class save as a cadet, and after competitive examination. Those who obtain the highest positions in the junior civil service examination of the year must be chosen as cadets in order of merit. The expert class includes men or women skilled in the following branches of knowledge: Medicine, law, navigation, science, technical art, management of live stock, naval or military matters. The messenger class includes messengers in the various departments. This Civil Service Act, however, does not affect certain branches of the service, such as the Defence department, Police Force, Postal a,nd Telegraph department, or the working railways. So far as the Postal and Telegraph department is concerned, the appointments rest with the Minister, independently of any examination, and, therefore, it is open to the head of the department to appoint persons to the postal and telegraph service on account of political leanings. There is, however, this saving clause in the Postal and Telegraph department: that no one can attain a salary over, we think, .£IOO unless he lias passed a certain examination "which is somewhat equivalent to the senior civil service examination. There is also some provision in reference to cadets, appointed even after ■ competition, that no cadet shall receive I more than .£IOO until the senior civilservice examination has been passed. So far as the working railways are concerned, there is also a certain standard required to be passed before a person can be appointed to the railway service, but that service is also entirely in the hands of the Government. The}' may appoint whoever they please without any competition, or practically without any qualifications. It will be seen, therefore, how inaccurate it. is for the Premier to have said at Hamilton that there were only two classes in the civil service—viz., cadets and experts, — and that the Government had only appointed experts (of the right political colour), and could not interfere with cadets. J3ut that was not the only misleading statement that was made at Hamilton. The people were asked to assume that there were no other appointments to the civil

serp.'ce but cadets and experts. The feet is that there are a largo number J: clerks in the public service called " extra clerks,'' to whom the Civil Service Act does not apply. They were supposed to be merely temporary

clerks, who were to do extra work

when there was a stress of Avork oil,

For years past, however, this has

developed into a system of practically

keeping in the service men as clerks

who have not passed any examination

and who are not experts, but who

are still there receiving Government pay; and it is by calling them " extra clerks" that the Heft.

Johx M'Kewzie, for example, lias been enabled to put into the public service

his relatives and friends,

But let us

see now what has been done in refer-

ence to cadets. There appeared in a Wellington paper a few weeks ago a statement that two cadets, whose names

were given, had been appointed " temporary cadets,"' one of them.-, if

not both, in the Public Trust Office,

Now these young w/n had never

passed the junior bivil service exami-

nation, or if: they had passed that

examination they had not obtained

such a high position as Tfrottld entitle them to be appointed. Their names do not appear in the Gazette as successful candidates for any position in the civil service, and yti, notwithstanding this, these two young men are appointed what may be termed temporary cadets— that is, the law has been deliberately violated in order to give them positions in the public service. They are, it is true> not civil servants: the Auditor-general would not pass their salaries as cadets, but if their names are put in as extra clerks we suppose that he would be bound to pass their salaries as such. Let us give an example of how experts are appointed: During the session there was considerable discussion id. reference to the appointment by the Premier of his own relative by marriage, Captain Henwah, as an expert to look after fire appliances. ] Captain Hejjnaii had been the captain of a fire brigade in Ballarat. He came to New Zealand, and after his arrival the Minister for Public Works (the Premier) thought it necessary that he should be appointed to look after all fire appliances, to attend the fire brigade demonstration, &c. Captain Henkaii was appointed in this capacity at a cost of several hundred pounds, and for all we know he is still in the Government service acting as fire expert. Now it is absurd to say that there are not engineers in the public service cpite competent to look

alter all fire appliances that require attention at the hands of the Government. If there are not, then the civil service in .New Zealand is certainly in a very had state. What, then, is being done by the Government ? First, the experts that are supposed to be required in the Government service are. chosen because of their political views. This is not denied by the Premier : he said they gave the expert offices to their friends. Capacity for the public service is, therefore, only a secondary consideration, if it be a consideration at all. The holding of right political opinions comes first. What would be said if a Government appointed civil servants because of their religious creed ? Yet we do not see any difference between appointing a man because of his religious views or on account of his political opinions. Confessedly it is a sufficient passport to the Government service if the appointee thinks as the Premier thinks, or rather, we should say, is prepared on all occasions to applaud the actions of the Government. Secondly, the Civil Service Act is being practically set aside, and extra clerks are being appointed who are really cadets. Now this is a direct violation of the law —just as direct as the Sergeant-at-arms appointment. It is also most unfair to the young men and young women throughout the colony who have spent their time in trying to obtain high positions in the civil service examinations. All their labour is wasted under the present regime, and, as we have pointed out in the cases of the two young men who have actually been appointed as cadets though they have not obtained any position in the civil service examination at all, every competitor for a civil service appointment has been treated unfairly. Then, again, by withdrawing the Postal and Telegraph department from the

operation of: the Civil Service Act, openings are made for political favouritism, and we venture to say

that the getting of patronage in th« railway service had more to do witl: dispensing ■with the Railway Commissioners tiian any zeal for the efficient working of the railways. A 1 all events the defence made by the Premier in reference to the Government's manner of dealing "with the civi' service is entirely incorrect. He cannoi be ignorant of the fact that extrf clerks have been appointed, that cadet.1 have been appointed who were noi entitled to any appointment whatever and that all the experts hare been choser because of their political colour. Witl the additional functions that are to bt cast upon the Government, it is absolutely necessary that the civil servict should be efficient, and that appoint ments should be made on the grount of efficiency alone, and not because o1 any opinions held by the appointees whether political or religious. Then is no hope of obtaining an efficien public service under the presen

regime, and we hope that this subject will not be lost sight of when questions deemed of grayer political importance are mentioned. It is a littie difficult t'-> understand ths action or inaction of G-..vernmsnt with reference to t'je Waipnri qoestion. Tf they bad from the iirsc repndia'ed all responsibility and said that the coantry could not afford to repeat the costly experiment of the ItLierewhenua, the position would have been intelligible. In that case they went somewhat too eagerly to urork, with the rssalf that probably more money wan spent than the field was worth. In this cast, however, their action has bsen vscillatiog in the oxfrorao. The field is a more valuable one than Mafirewhentia, but the problem is o. more difficult one. Aft?r c-rtain efforts had been made by the Government, pressed on by persons who were int,e: ested in dredging opsrations and by mymbsra of Parliament, to enable mining opav&tions to be coatiunid, the farmers got tho upper hand through raliaECo on tho law. Ths matfsr thou appeared to hays oome to a doadlook. A.^aia, however, Govern mer.t moved iv the matter, needing dawn agents and commissioners to adjust the proposed coranensation and suggest remedies. 'This was done, and the hopss of the miners were now naturally raised. Tiwn there wan furt-hsr dwlay, aad a promisa of action if Parliament sanctioned payment of compensation. This Parliament did, and we micwrstand that », provisional adjustment cf compensation vran made. The long promised proclamation is now lor some unknown reason again hung up, and wo arc told that the farmers' demands aro too high. We have evory reason to belie7e that there is a good deal of truth in this statement of. the position ; but the farmers1 demands can only stand at the amounts assessed by the commission aad

s j entered in the provisional agraoniehfc. The . ; amounts have been agreed oii,and unless the I minors are, if rra tnay u«e a popular phrase, fco be hittlb'lgj'ed for the rest of their days, ' the proclamation will bs issued ou thie • v basis. The whole prccsedicg is anything f but creditable, iIiTD position presented to the City Council j ' at its meeti»g on Wednesday evening from 3 Khopkeapera who object to Saturday being i j fixed tit tbe dis.y for tho ohsr.rfanOß o£ the s weekly inlf-hoHday provided for by the , Shops nark Snap Assistants Act, signed bs St. was by 90 per csnfc, of the retail shopkeepers c sho will be affected, will no doubt - have great weight with the conference o- which will shortly meet under the authority oi the Act to settle the, question. We hava titae and again strenuously opposed tha a compulsory c'osiog of the retail shops on c Saturday afternoons, and Vfe haws not jet s heard sufficient reasono advanced to make „ us waver la our strong1 cdnviction that snob action Would be extremely unjust and impolitic. Those who sigSed the petition have strengthened the case aorsinst Saturday S being sal'SCted by the conference. The J stroug failing which the promoters of the j j petition found to exist against, Saturday ) closing amongst those whose interests would '• be most vitally affected had Oorrobaration, r too, in the personal effort made by tbo Mayor ~ to arrive at a just decision on ihu quoatioc. (. Indeed, the more closaly and honestly the V investigation into this vexed question, the more convincing is the evidence that the c conference Would perpetrate a-a act, of tho 0 grossest injustice to a large cumber of our [ struggling townsmen were they to give way to such pressure and clamour a« have in the 8 past characterised the efforts of a certain ? party to sacrifice the material welfare of 1 tha 'city to pleasure. We fool qnita sare _ that the members of the conference will ... give the matter that earnest consideration ' which it oaiy needs to enable them Co set s that the wishes of the large number of pi-U- ---, tioners who laid their case before the council 3 onght to ba acceded to.

The fact that the Anna has bean able te bring up 400 sealskins from the Campbell Islands shows that those interesting find profitable animals are not yet quire extinct. la it not, fcheo, worth while, in che interests of the colony, to preserve them '! Ax, present seasons ars opened at irregnlav intervals trithont much" inquiry, and there is in the selection of them fairly strong ewdsnea of political favouritism. So long us th:s sort of thing continues it is not very likely that minor national interests of this kind will be attended to. Long ago tha rough west coast of this province and the little islands to t,h« south were swarming wir.b. fur saala. Th*se animals are now rare curiosities ; sriil th'-y are evidently snflicieutly numerous to give hope of their ultimate preservation i£ cared for. Campbell Island is a very small speck of land, ucd"t.he nntabar it has yielded is a very respsctabla one. A.t the Auckland Islands thsy are probably more plentiful, v/hile besides these there are other groups of small desert islands which harbour them. It is one of tho duties of tko curator now stationed at Resolution Island to look after seal?, and we hops that ia time tho spirit which ha? inspired his appointment will be extended to the preservation of this valuable commercial asset,

We have been shown several private lotte-s from Australia warning friends here against being drawn into Coolgardie speculations. These letters ara not mere echoes oi; wbai may be read in the press, but ars th« independent observations of a corapotent judge. Now that hard times hsive faUsn on the colonies and a good many people ara lookiDg about anxiously to work, there is a great temptation to go to a field of this sort. Mr R. Hay's experience confirms what we have read and heard elsewhere—viz., that, the so-called miners are as a rule living on their capital or that of otbera. That splendid diKcovsries hays baeu made is undoubted, bnt it may always bs said oil a, new goldfield that ths more good tilings there are in it the more bad ones tbere must bo. No doubt statisticians could esuiiir establish a rule. It would, when established, show that every good mine led to Mie creation of 10 dufwrs or thereabouts. T'nco a farther rale might be established to the effect that when in ona piace move than a given number of gocd mines ware discovered the 10 duffiors became 15 or 20, according to some definita i&w. Then again, increased richness of the genuine miae would have the same .effect as the increased number of such. There is BOthkig fanciful about this. The issnlt is thsi; gold mining can never pay well excepting in rather poor ground, because the average returns ars balancad by the mosey sunk in non-paying mines. Ie is a we.il ascertained fact that, as a whole, gold mining gives a low average wage. It in odd in these latter days to soe occasionally cropping up the question oi; t,h« identity of the Tiohbohnb claimant. This time a telegram from Sydney informs us that " a iiigh authority " ss-sf ss that " tho identify of William Ceissswbll vjith Rogeu Tiohbokkb will siicrtiy be established beyond doubt." It is evident that the true Ticfiboknk faith h declining with the lapse of time. A man who h&d long been a butcher at Wagg'tt Wagga uuder the name of OA!>Ti;o went to Mnglaud to claim the Tichhoknk ostates anci es; ablisli bis identity with the lt«;c Sir Ito&BB Ticiibok.n'E. His case was ultimately taken up by a good firm of solicitors called Baxter, Kosk, aijd Norton, and ran its course for years through the English courts. After many vicissitudes Castko received a »enteace of 14 years' for<>perj tury uuon which some wasr wrote: —

"We'll prove," say Baxter, Rose, and Norton, " The claimant is not. Artiiui^ Ohton." They only proved what's )e<s important. That he has done what Arthur oughtn't.

! I The prosecution established to the sa-tisfac- { t tioa of the jury tha identity of Castro with . I one Ahthch Okton, of Wapping. This. x was the subject of voluminous evidence. ' Dozens of pe.»ple identified him as Kogbj; t Tjohborsb, whom they had known if:. ) his youth ; dozROK mere identified him - as Aktiiuis Orton. Tha case did not, [ however, come to bs decider! on suck . evidence but oa more certain ground. A stroofr effort was mads to diiposo of. tao 1 Arthur Okton theory by fiudinp the isal 5 Airmail in the flash, and many adherents t advocated, the claims of one Cjikss'wjsll, a lunatic in an asylnm ia Now S-juth W.vlas. ' Kffiorls were made aftar the trial to vet ;his 1 luMtio to Eogiucd, buo ia the ttid they came 1 to nothing. The latest phase of the question ; suggests that the lnnsHc 13 r.o1; the missing Ahtiuje 'out the missing Roklik. It in a pity i-hat this was not thought or. before. In i ths meantime a cot immaterial circumstance " ia the existence of. a)i cider of the Supreme 1 Court staying all further pr»esfiriias»a until [-• costs amounting to seariy £50,000 ars paid under a statute of Imperial I'arliament ds- ' ! clarnig Castro to be an impostor aod enaot--3 ing thut his claim shall nev<sr bs revived. Ths t now ver»io», hny/ever, gives the go-by to t both cavirt and ParUamen!;.

The Danedin Sister■>' Mission seams to bo an institution which in a quiet way is doing a great deal of goad work. We have heeu sjivtn sortie information as to the urjostent-a- ---] tious but; evidently valuable work done by tbio email cbarir-ablw organisation, ar.id it is well that its claims for help from i-lie public should be bettor known. Miss JtAEBUin, who for want of a better i-itfe is called ths ngtnr. of tin? sccl'ty, )>•■ the rooster spirit of ita being. Her work la said to consist in " house to house visitation among the poor;'.).!. over the city, firjding out those who «ra sick or otherwise needing help and assisting them, sometimes by giviag mcaoy, more frequently by dissributir.f:,' clothing given by friends, food, »cd mociicin", ar.d, where fiich practical aid is required, by cleanup up She house, making' teds*, nursing tho sick." itc. We i>r« further Ensured tbat " tho mission is entirely utjsectarian in the administration of its fnnds, and most of those visited are non-ohuroligonra." Tue balanc? nhneii of the society for nine monies shows ita resources to Lm <inythiu.j» bu1Eiagnificent. Miss lUebukn's salary of £;X) 53 naturally absorbs iho greater part, bill-, as she devote? her v.-bole time to the objects of the mission, the result, e.iaipsßS vpry favourably with ths cost. Miss Bahbuhn ha? the common experience of havisisr to deal with a certain rmiubsr of impostor?, ana hp.r- inastei'M the 7;>.!uflb!e !es«un chat " indiscriminate charity is a mistake." As Christmus is coming round we would suggest that the daKerving character of Ufa mission is worthy of consideration. Where money cannot be given, old bootn and clothing' would be thankfully received. Miss Raehubn adds: "If Jn any caso ci! seeming: dlstr«i>s a note were given to the person, sending him jor her to me at ray nddreap, Albany street, I corner of Loith street, I would most gladly • investigate the caso as to its genuineness or | otherwise,"

The Hon. j. Cl. Ward) Colonial Treasurer, re&ched Duneclid last eteniog By the oiprean train from the north, and proceeds to Invercarglll this morning.

The express train from \hn north last evening war, a heavy oue, and was consequently half tn hour late in reaching Duncdiu. Tbf re vffts a heavy English mail by way of Sydney on bonrtl, »nd the stuff at tha local office were engaged sorting until after midnight.

Mr Paillin rent the follo*io« fofccaot lssi oreniHg :—" Iji:.;ht to ihode'rate E.B. to N.Bwinds ftnd fioe,"

The hearing of the chargu of wilfnl noylcoii ami omi'iiion oC duty preferred Kgainsb Captain Colville, of the fihit) Bleuheini, was concluded at the City Police Court ycufcerdvp. The court fonud that the rhsx-ge was absolutely disprortdi On and after tho ltt January any card (hearing an adiiesive atnhip) of the name Bii»s as the present post cards—namely, sin by 3in—aad of the same thickness may be used for transmission through the post office for any piece inside ths Australian colonies or the United Kingdom. Entirely plain cards may be used, but for the present cards for ether places muat bear tbe same printing as the Government cards'. After fchc same date lcttw cards Trill be sold at all post offices. Theso corria, which aft'erd double tha writing space of tha ordinary post card, and can be closftd auwnst iagpeclion as securely 83 aa ordinary letter, will bs sold at 1-A-d esob for town, inland, and iutoreoloniil circulation. For the South Sea Inlands an additional £tl postags will be required, and for the. United Kingdom and all other places aa additional Id.

The ftailwsy depßl'isßieat have raado arrangements fof issuing cheap excursion tickets for round trip? through Central Otago from January 1 to March 31 next. Four diffen-nt routes are provided for, and the fares which have boon fejfli cover rai), coach, and steamer fares for the round trip, the tickets beingavailable for two months from the date of issue. Thi-.aa trips will enable tourists nnd others to visit Central Otago, in addition to seeing the beauties of the Lake district. Full particulars of the various excursions will bs found in our

advertising columns.

Mr Hawkins, S.M., fined the licensee of the G?re Hotel 5* and costs, and directed fche license to bs endorsed, for allowing billiards to bd played after 10 p.m. It appears the billiard room id leased to a ra»n who allowed two flayers to finish a game which was started so(B8 lima before 10 o'clock, the. mail tcllieg thn constable that he thought he had a right to do so. The bar at the time was closed, and the licensee had no knowledge of the fact that billiards were being played.

The Oamaru "Mail states that the Oiims.ru Harbour Buard yesterday discussed the whole question arising out of Mr Justice Williams'* decision. It is probable tbat the position Gf some of the bondholders will be brought before tbe court m the form of an action, f.ud meantime payments to the 187G bondholders may, through force of circumstances, bs compelled to bs held over. The board instructed the chairman to acquaint the 1876 bondholders with the position.

Mr A. B. Fitzgerald, a leading member of the English Alpinn Club, with the Swiss guide Zurbriggen an a two cf the Gonrkas who accompanied Mr Conway in his expedition to. the Himalayas, &tb at present in C&uterburj. According to the Clirietahurch papers, Mr Fitzgerald deprecates the idea that he has come to the colony to conquer peaks or wrest itmrels from local men. His object is 00-opera-tion, not rivalry, and he hopes to get some members, of the Nbw Zealand Club to join him ia an excursion to the ico regions of the Southern Alps,

A very interesting exhibition of studies, executed by pupils at the Otago Art Academy in the Octagon, was opened yerteulsy, nnd the works vrill remain on view for the next few days, during which Btich of the public- its are

interested will b-j made weicorno to the rooms. The exhibition cjmprisss lira* »tudie3 frora life asd studies from nature, and among the works included in ifc are several of considerable merit. Such a display of pupils' work really marks a uew departure in DtuiodlD, and the syetein upon which Signor Nerli and Mr P«rrett proceed is such as musb be commended, inasmuch as it enables the pupils to readily grasp the theory of colour and it encourages them in studying from the life. The work generally in of a kind that merits none but words of praise, and under the able tuition imparted in the academy it h evident that gLviat strides have been made by many cf the ttudtnts in their art studies. It is to be hoped that this very creditabto exhibition—which the artistic public are heartily recommended to visit—is but the precursor of future ex?iibitionsi of work of a still more advanced and superior character.

The Kenntdy Company will reproduce "The Strategist" at the City Eall this evening. A s-tcicd concert has been arranged for Christmas night, when Signora Veaoata and Madame Sheath will assist.

The Venosta Concert Co. will give a sacred concert in tha City Hall on Sunday evening, when they will be assisted by Madame Sheath. Signora Veuoste will siag " The worker," asd. " The lost chord."

An exceptionally varied programme, consisting of operatic and popular oongs, humorous songs and stories, and whistling ventriloquism, has been prepared for the sixty-seventh peuple's cencecfc, to be hfld in tha Garrison Hall tonight;, and appears ia another column. Amongst the principal attractions are Signora Vancsta, Captain Thomas (in his song and story), and Mr W. Farquhp.r Young.