AN ARBITRARY APPOINT- MENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15370, 6 February 1912, Page 2

AN ARBITRARY APPOINTMENT.

RUMOUR OF OTHERS. (From Orn Own ConREsroxDENT.I WKI.I-INUTO.V, l'cl.ruary S. There is a great deal of resentment of the appointment that lias just lieen made nf Sir Joseph Ward's secretary to the position of Umler-secretarv to' the Department of Internal -Affairs. li-jth tlie Dominion and the Post agree that the ap]>oinlmeiit should not have Ix-en wvk. No fault is found with Mr Hi.slop, who has hcen a capable and very popular secretary. As the Post puts it, moat of the resentment will rather h? ag.iinst the Government than apainst Mr Ilislop pcrfonally. It says: "Well an Mr Ilislop has served liis chief, it cannot Ixi said that his experience has been on lines to specially fit him for the important duties to which Cabinet line, decided to assign him. An Undcr-sccretary has to he a Minister's right-hand man' in largo affairs of State. He has to ho able to adviso the Minister on intricate departmental questions, and such capacity is not to bo suddenly acquired. With many hundreds of people who have officially or unofficially met Mr Hislop, we have a. high regard for those qualities which have made him an excellent private secretary, but we must protest emphatically against the manner of this appointment. We do not believe that the Government has acted within its right. It has behaved arbitrarily in a manner which must create keen discontent among men whose knowledge and years of departmental experience have been ignored. It is an act, too, which comes ill front a (lovcrnmcnl which has to prove in a few days whether it holds the cnntklcnne of the country. The appointment almost implies that Sir Joseph Ward, whatever he may say publicly, believes in his kart that he will not bo ablo to continue in office. The present example of Ministerial improper conduct has followed fast on the arbitrary railway wages decision, on which we commented a few davs ago. The cavalier disposal of an uiwor-secrctaryship supplies a forcible argument for the' establishment of a Public Service Board to make high | appointments, on a. reasonable, just bisis to merit |tho confidence of the otlicers, and not on a personal basis to make them disheartened and disaffected." It has been stated recently in commercial circles here that three" important appointments were about to be made bv the Government, One was that referral to above. Another is tho appointment of a High Commissioner in London, and the third is tho appointmont of a director of the Hank of New Zealand. The last-named api>ointmenl, it is presumed, would be necessary if one of the present bank directors were, made High Commissioner. Tho prevailing opinion here is that it would be most improper for the Government to innko cither appointment in view of the present political situation. Probably the statement is mere rumour.