A REPLY TO "RETRENCHMENT."

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1026, 22 March 1884, Page 3

A REPLY TO "RETRENCHMENT."

(2*o the Editor.) Sib,— The letter of your correspondent "Retrenchment" in last Saturday's issue rather surprises me. According to his own account, his usual mood is bo generous that he declines to import his own tea and sugar from Dunedin, at a saving to himself, lest he should wound the feelings of the local dealers, and inflict upon himself the imputation of having '* a tinge of meanness in his constitution." This unenviable " possession," as he justly terms it, must, however, have found its way into his system when, on the pretence of lending his valuable assistance to the Government of the country, he so seriously exaggerates the value of the small privilege conceded to the surfacemen on the railways of travelling on certain occasions at a reduced fare.^ He asks if this concession should be considered at a part of their remuneration. I should say •« Certainly; for in accepting employment every perquisite is valued as part of the inducement. Bub if it be regarded only in the light of a privilege, granted to promote kindliness of feeling between the Department and a class of its servants, by no means extravagantly paid, the benefit to the service would justify the expenditure of the small sum it represents. It has often been argued that if the Government would imitate the procedure of private firms more closely it would be much to its advantage. It is the practice of all private commercial establishments to treat their employes to little favors, and tbe large Railway Companies at Home imitate the "Department in this very particular, or, more probably, the Department imitated them. With regard to the dramatic situation of the "courteous young gentleman" with the note-book, who charged his box of tea as excess luggage, he must be very ignorant of what he talks about, or sadly deficient in the accuracy of statement that should characterise one who undertakes to help the Government out of its financial difficulties: perhaps the memory of the young man's unkindneis. after he had let "a tinge of meanness" into his constitutution, too, by importing his tea to the prejudice of the Lawrence grocers — 'twas, indeed, adding insult to injury — piling Pollion on Ossa !— perhaps the memory caused such a perturbation of his understanding as to cloud his ordinarily clear conceptions ; but he ought to know before he writes about it that railway employees can no more carry excess luggage without paying for it than he oan. Nor, moreover, can their families travel more cheaply than bis, as " Retrenchment " insinuates. To conclude: "Retrenchment" says you may hear from him again. Let me advise Him when next he brings a fcheme of retrenchment before the notice of the Cabinet, through the columns of your valuable paper, instead of attempting to snatch a paltry picking like this from the least highly paid servants of the State, to seek out some reul grievance; and, above all, to eradicate, at all costs, that fatal " tinge of meanness " from his constitution, so that his charity may become more cosmopolitan in its range, and embrace not only the local grocers but all men, surfacemen included.—! am, &c., Apbok>3.