THE PUBLIC SERVICE BILL.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12856, 25 October 1912, Page 4

THE PUBLIC SERVICE BILL.

POLITICAL PATRONAGE.

A LAST DESPAIRING CRY

(By Telegraph.) (Special to " Chronicle.")

WELLINGTON," October 24. A good deal of the time of Parliament was wasted this afternoon by ft useless debate upon the amendments made by the Legislative Council in the Public Service Bill. The debate was kept going mainly by Opposition -members, who made a- last despairing -cry in favour of the maintenance of political patronage; They are having now to relinquish the bad old system, and naturally they are very sad about it, and are already indulging in dreary Jeremiads regarding the failure of the new system even before it *is; started. The so-called Liberals are putting up a dying fight for a continuance of a system that is universally condemned, but, as Mr. Newman, the member for Rangitikei, stated this afternoon, whether they liked it or not, the reform would be in the interests of the people and of the service itself. There could be no doubt, he said, that political influence had come in, and it had been a scandal and an abuse. The debate was interrupted by the dinner adjournment, and will be continued at a later sitting.