THE WAY TAXPAYERS MONEY IS WASTED.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7983, 29 September 1887, Page 2

THE WAY TAXPAYERS MONEY IS WASTED.

The demand for economy, Bays the Dunedin Star, is utilised by Ministers in retrenching inconvenient persons out of the public service, and thus making room for their own friends ; or rather, perhaps we should cay, their friends' friends. An instance of this took place not so very long ago in Wellington, the principal circumstanoes of which are worth relating. In a certain office, appertaining to one of the great departments, a gentleman was employed who was not only exceptionally qualified, but eminently so in his specific work. He had been seventeen years in the service ; but, never having laid himself out either officially or in social life to be agreeable to the powers that be, he never had rieen beyond a position technically subordinate. The head of his room, on the contrary, basked in the sun of Ministerial favor, but also was frequently very much in the sun in another way, being, not to put too fine a point upon it, habitually under the influence mere or less — generally more — of strong liquors. Being offensive and dictatorial when so excited, he roused the really very mild temper of the gentleman whose story we are telling, and apparently, being Bure of his ground, reported him for insubordination. The gentlemen, whom we will call B, was accordingly cited before the head of the Department and admonished. He did not say anything on this occasion further than that he thought it should be well understood why things could not go on very , smoothly in that particular room. When, however, a letter was written to him in the name of the Minister, which amounted to a record of severe censure, he openly deolared that if Ministers and heads of departments did not kiiow the scandal created by the conduct of his immediat9 superior they must be both blind and deaf, since only a few day's previously he had been picked up drunk at the bottom of the 1 stepß of the offices with a bottle of whisky J in his pooket, locked up for the night, and paraded in full view of the Ministerial windows to the Polioe Office the next morning. Can it be believed that, although all this was notorious, B received an intimation that his resignation was desired on the grounds of retrenchment, whilst every technical difficulty possible was placed in the way of his obtaining the legal compensation due to him for loss of office. The drunken helot remains, so far as we know, in the enjoyment of place and play ; whilst the colony has lost the services of an efficient officer, having to pay, moreover, a pretty smart sum by way of compensation. There has been, moreover, we believe, a move-up and some practically new appointments nince B'g work was of a'ohuracter that it would not be dis2 pensed with.