Save Us from a Commissioner.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 5972, 24 August 1912, Page 1

Save Us from a Commissioner.

"We are told that we are going to get rid of political patronage by appointing a Comimissioner," remarked tlio member for Wanganui, Mr W. A. Veitch. When they got rid of political patronage, he jiwent on to say, they ■would get'worso. He did not think it was possiblo to regulate the public service by ft commissioner. He could see no reason why such an appointment should improve matters, and he would do his best to proven t the appointment of a commission-i io take charge of the public Serve.. If one wero appointed Civil Servants' would still ultimately have to come to I'armient for rech-ess of their wrongs. He knew that the blackest day in th e history of 0110 of tli. departments was when thev were under a commissioner, because the Government could do what it liked. With the Governif they wanted to do anything nice, it was done by the Government; but if'they wanted to do the reverse, then it was the commissioner. Th 0 blackest days in the history of 'the Railway Department were when it was under the commission, and the days of the recent retrenchmriii in the department. He sincerely hoped there would .never be a recurrence of those days. There were a greai many questions he would like to have answered in connection with the proposed commissioner, and the method of appeal. but he earnestly hoped these ar.swers ■would nover bo necessary and that the Coven ment would change its mind on this subject. He hoped that if n commissioner were appointed he would not be an imported man. It would lj 0 :l gravo reflection upon New •iSealnwlcrs that they were not capable of occupying- anything- but secondary positions.