A SIGNIFICANT ARTICLE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13635, 1 July 1908, Page 6

A SIGNIFICANT ARTICLE.

POLITICIANS AND PUBLIC INSIITUTIONS. WHY DID MR MACINTOSH RESIGN? The " Sydney Morning Herald" of June IBUI says editorially:—ln our news columns this morning will be found a confirmation of the luinour ivhich we published yesterday in connection with Mr Macintosh's relations with,, the Government Savings Bank. Mr Macintosh has decided to resign his po&iuon as piesident, and has'accepted'an important post in fhe New Zealand branch' of Messu, Dalgety and Company's business. This is a matter, of course, which may cover purely personal considerations.- If Mr Macintosh will improve his by leaving Sydney, and is otherwise* likely to be better off as an officer, of a private institution than as a prominent servant, of this.State, we can make no objection. Tliat is to say, eveiy man has to place his personal needs before his public duty in such cases, b.'cauoe there is Botlung in the terms of Mr Macintosh's engagement which can be iuterpieted as rendering his present action a deseition of his post. He is not like bin. cdpt.uu ol .1 Uiiu on a voyage or dining a bliipwreck. He is a business man appointed to look after certain business interests, and as such he is 'open to an offer from firms who also have large interests which require highly skilled and fully experienced men in charge of them. Mr Macintosh has proved himself so capable a manager of great financial institutions that the business' world knows his value, and may be expected to keep a shrewd eye upon him. In Queensland, in New Zealand, and now in New South Wales, he has justified to the full the confidence which has been placed upon him, and : this State was fortunate to be able to secure,his services for the newly constituted Government Savings Bank. It is singularly -unfortunate in not being able to retain them. If there were nothing else behind we,should say that the le«6on was dimply one tatight bv the stress of competition. 'Even the State must be prepared to bid high if it is to keep good men in it* seivice, and for men like Mr Macintosh it should be- willing to outbid the business woild to maintain its hold upon them. Ju«t here, however,- arises a serious question. We are in the thick of,a very I unpleasant controversy,' in which" the uotii vities of politicians aie being discussed; Mid the land branch «f the Government Savings BaiikV; opeiatious h.is bipught Mr Macintosh into collision with them. There has never been ,a shadow of doubt,as to the side towards which public opinion 'leans. From the commencement public opinion has been stiongly against political interference; - and there ( is a growing determination that politicians shall not be permitted to enter' the departments s and institutions of, the State ,to pnsh'their private business \g jprivileged persons., '_ .But while"thi3f may be I ,easy 'to,see, it is difficult to realise now in- the meantime 1

officers like Mr Macintosh iire to be protected against attack. We may clothe them with full authority, anil declare by Act, of Parliament « that they shall be absolutely independent, of political influence, and ye* they may have to conduct a campaign against malignant critics or unscrupulous politicians which will break down their health or otherwise cripple them in office. We know how Mr-Eddy suffered. Mr Macintosh, of coutfee, may not feel exasperated, and he may be leaving New South Wales to better himself, as we have already noted. But the State ought to be too good a master to be left in this way, and we are quite justified in assuming that recent, happenings have not made the lot of the. president of the Government Savings Bank a, happy one. Is this, then, "what we may expect when a Labour Government gets into power, and Labour members walk into the departments to enforce their will upon high-minded and conscientious public servants? It has been bad enougn .in j the green tree; what will it bw in the