Government Jobbery.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2094, 20 July 1887, Page 3

Government Jobbery.

The following are fxrtncts f om a letter j which appeared in the ‘ S./.. Times ’ cf| Friday last. Co ament is unnecessary : j TO THE EDITOR OP the NEW TFXLXND TIME. .

Si®.—l sec that Mr W. C. Buchanan, in his speech at Carterton on Monday evening, stated that tiie retrenchment claim s! by the Government during the pMt year is barefaced ana misleading. • • •

At the beginning of this year I received • a letter, written by the direction of the Native Minister, stating that, in view of nwcssaiy retrenchment in the Native Department, my services coaid not be retained after the 31st March, at the —in time conveying the thanks of the Government for my long and faithful service (24 yean), and assuring me that the change was being made through no fault of my own. • • * I interviewed Mr Ballance, and pointed oat that I was the oldest officer in the Native Department, and that as two new appointments had been made in the office within the last six months, it appeared to me very unjust that I shou'd be removed to make roo::. fir others, and that there was really no rctrouchmei. t Mr Lailauce then assured mo that the two persons named were only temporary clerks, and would have to leave at once. Knee I have left I find that, in addition to these two persons, three others have been taken on ; so that the matter stands thus—l am dispensed with, thus saving £3OO per annum, which fact is telegraphed from one end of the Colony to the' other, and five others taken on (which is not telegraphed) whose aggregate salaries amount to £874 per annum. The outside public would say, How can this be, tho amounts are not shown on the Estimates ? No, these salaries are paid Cut of a sum of £7OOO per annum, the Civil List Native purposes, which amount is voted in a lump, is scarcely known to members, and is m addition to the ordinary Native vote; it is a choice little nest egg out of which bonusei to a chosen few, and such like curious pay. meets, are made, after it has been decided in Cabinet that no increases in salaries are to be given to officers. Mr Bryce had so far cut down the Native expenditure, in addition to greatly reducing the Native estimates, that when he left office tlu-re w, t - a sum of about £2IR»O to tb 'i nf this Civil List Fund, and it nc tiad remained in power another yt-ar I Udicvc this £7>AHj Civil List •>. wild have covered the whole ei[>oiidi'uiv, and th.-re would have been no Native vote; but now I see all Mr Bryce’s savings have been exj tended, and the Civil List vote extended by about £2t>ud. In Wo, during the late bir 1k.....1d McLean’s so-ca!! ,J extravagant time, When tne Xarhe Office was roaily necessary, and considerable more ianoctant work d. than at present, the total co-- h;.sl - dice in Wellington -.v.t- U! . i ... 1 :b ur officials did tne work, -i, W.naid considered that in ten vea!> tro a this time (Woi there would no n. d of the Native office at all. hut instead of this we find at the present moment the cost of the head office in salaries is at the rate of £3*>o (>er annum, and fourteen officials employed, exclusive of a very large amount drawn as travelling al- I lowance by one or two of tin s,, officials. Surely this state of things should be put a stop to, for never during my 24 years’ experience, has such a state of corruption existed. ’ * • I am, Ac , 8. E. G. Vicuffls, For 24 years an officer in the Native Department.