The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1886.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3531, 22 January 1886, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 1886.

In discussing the resolution passed hy the Harbor Board on Wednesday iv regard to the Engineer, we are not going to impute motives, or to retaliate with any of tbe strong fcmgungc with which one or two members seemed inclined to favov this journal. The line which we have taken on this subject has not been inspired by any member of tbe Harbor Board, as one speaker seemed to suggest; indeed, it so happens that the only member who spoke to us on the question was iv favor of tho resolution. We simply endeavored to give expression to tho prevalent feeling of tho public. Among the ratepayers at large there is a strong general prepossession m favor of fair play ; tbere is nn equally strong inclination to recognise the faithful and Bucee6sful services of a publi'j ofiicer ;

and there is also a marked conviction tbat the proper way to recognise such services docs not consist m subjecting tbe officer to repeated reductions m his sal my whenever it is thought the work is so far advanced that the Board could do without him if the worst came to the worst. That was really the only substantial argument brought forward m favor of the resolution. One member said plainly that the Board now had the results of Mr Goodall's experience, and tbe work could therefore go on without bis assistance. This may be correct, but surely this is not the principle on which a public body should encourage and reward its oliicers. We don't wish to be uncharitable and therefore we will assume that some members of the Board, m their cxces3 of y.enl for economy of the public money, have been led into a display of clierse-pnring and " serewishneas" which they would be ashamed to exhibit m their own private transactions. A good many inaccurate statements wero made m the course of the discussion, although we have no doubt they were made quite unintentionally. One of these was a remark by Mr Hayes to tbe effect that on one occasion Mr Goodall's salary was reduced at his own request, iv order that he might undertake private practice. Mr Hayes is usually exceedingly careful m his statements, and would not wilfully give rise to a false impression. In tlu3 case, however, bo is tinder a iiii-upprebi-nsion. Mr Goodall originally received ,C 720 per annum. Then this was reduced by ten per cent, iv common with tbe [salaries of tbe other officials of tbe Board. Subsequently the ten per cent was restored m all cases except those of Captain Mills and tbe Engineer, who wero permanently reduced. Later on Mr Goodall's salary was cut down to £500 a year. After this bad been decided upon bo made application to be allowed to undertake private practice, which was granted, but it is not correct to say that he asked for the reduction, and as a matter of fact we believe he never acted upon the permission given him by the Board, except m one or two isolated cases such as tbe designing of the Timaru Baths. Tbe origiual resolution proposed by Captain Sutler has boon sligbtlj' modified for the better by raising the proposed salary to i'lso. Whether Mr Goodall, for tbe sake of continuing his connection with a work which must always be an object of professional pride to him, will consent to accept this reduction we cannot say. We regret tbat for tbe sake of a few paltry pounds per annum such a discussion should ever hav<; been raised, because these repeated acts of tinkering and cheeseparing reflect no credit on anybody, and are likely m the long run to do more harm than good.

Aftkk sucli a satisfactory start has been made with tho Thursday balfholiday movement, it is sincerely to be hoped that so promising a reform will not be wrecked by a want of unanimity among those who are principally intended to be benefited. It would be indued an anomalous and unfortunate state of affairs if, after the employers had so cheerfully given their support to the movement, it should come to grief through want of accord among the assistants themselves. A letter which we published on Wednesday give 3 a full and exhaustive statement of the position. The employers, it appeal's, have acted m the most liberal and considerate- manner, but some of the dressmakers and milliners seem to have been apprehensive that their interests might suffer if their statutory holiday were changed from Saturday to Thursday, and accordingly thi-y signed a petition to the Borough Council protesting against the day being changed nnder the provisions of the amended Factory Act of last session. As we understand, it is absolutely necessary for this change to be made if the saleswomen and male assistants are to enjoy the privilege of a weekly half-holiday as well as those who come under the provision of the Employment of Females Act, or as it is more commonly called, " The Factory Act." It would never do to have half the staff I away one afternoon, and the other half on another afternoon, thus making two half-holidays m one week. The employers lit a personal sacrifice have made arrangements for t>iis to be done pending the decision of the Borough Council, but clearly auch an arrangement could novel" be continued permanently. Unless, therefore, the half-holiday be made uniform, we take it that the large number of salesmen and saleswomen m the town will be debarred from having any intermission of their confined and fatiguing work during the week. "We cannot believe that those to whom a weekly half-holiday is secured by statute will grudge tho small sacrifice necessary to enable their less fortunate fellow-workers to enjoy a similar boon. It is, of course, a complete mistake to suppose that if the trausfer is sanctioned and the Thursday half-holiday should prove not to be a success, those who formerly enjoyed the Saturday half-holiduy would lose it altogether. Their weekly half-holiday is secured to them by law, and they can never bo deprived of it until another Act of Parliament has been passed repealiug the clause m the Employment of Females Act by which it was originally granted. By assenting to the change m the day they will not prejudice their own rights m any degree, but they will indirectly be the menus of conferring a great benefit on scores of their co-workers less fortunately placed than themselves. No doubt many of them prefer Saturday to Thursday for their off-day. Still the giving up of a preference for a particular day is a small sacrifice to make m such a case, and we hope that m this instance it will be cheerfully made, thus carrying out the teaching of the Golden Rule. « We are glad to Lear that the Driver appointment is not to be acquiesced m quietly. At the next meeting of the Government Insurance Board one of the elected members is to move that the appointment be rescinded. The elected members, as we have pointed out on several occasions, have a dreadfully uphill fight to maintain the rights of the policy-holders m the face of tbc overwhelming preponderance of Government influence on the Board, It behoves insurers, therefore, to make :i little sacrifice m order to give them all thu assistance and support within their power. In other parts of the colony 'meetings are being held to protest,

against tbc tnisnse of the funds j of the Association to reward political | friends of tlio Government, and we should like to see similar action taken ' I liy tbe policy-holders m this district. llt is quite evident that so long us Sir Julius Yogel is at tho hoad of the Association there will !>e constant danger of its interests being subordinated to political wire-pulling, and the policyholders will do well to check such proceedings at the outset. Only the most firm and decided remonstrance against the Dri%'er appointment will ensure its i being revoked, and we hope that the insurers m South Canterbury will not 1 be behind those m other places m re- ■ cording their emphatic protest against tlie bestowal of an unnecessary office, on i a man possessing no special qualifica- '■ tions for the post even assuming the latter to be urgently required.