Wellington Independent MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1871.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVII, Issue 3116, 6 February 1871, Page 2

Wellington Independent MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1871.

Our evening contemporary is unfortunate in replies. He sows mis statements broadcast, and rejoins to their exposure the feeblest balderdash, of which he has an extensive assortment on hand, at his command. This is most conspicuous in his attempt to rebut our proof of his wanton misrepresentations in trying to substantiate his general charge against the Government of extravagance and improper patronage. We will specifically point out his further mis-statements, and, in doing so, state that we are not dependent for our information on eaves-droppers and men in the stieet, but, inasmuch as public expenditure is a matter of the greatest public importance, we have legitimately obtained authentic proofs of the correctness of what we state. We reassert that Major Richardson, without a portfolio, while attending the Governor on his tour through the South during tho early part of 1867, drew salary as a Minister. We impute no blame— we think the course pursued quite right — all we stato is, that it is not unusual for a Minister with merely a nominal department, or even without a portfolio, to draw salary. The Government are accused not of making an unnecessary appointment, but actually of doing away with one in the person of Captain Fox, late commander of the St. Kilda. The facts are that the St. Kilda involved a large unnecessary expenditure. She was sold by order of the present Government, and of course the office of commander ofthe vessel could not be maintained when there was no vessel to command. The " Evening Post" tries to put the Government on the horns of a dilemma lf an appointment is made they are charged with corruption and extravagance ; if a reduction, with malice against an individual. Does our contemporary think such a course creditable to itself, or complimentary to the intelligence of its readers ? Any one who knows the muddle in which the administration of the confiscated lands was on the West Coast when the last Government resigned, will not dispute the necessity of Mr Pharazyn's appointment as commissioner. The result of his labors has been the substitution of some system for chaos, und the successful sale of some of the land. We may speak similarly of tho appointment of Major Heaphy iv respect of the native reserves. The greatest confusion and want of information generally prevailed, and the natives interested therein were very dissatisfied. Major Heaphy has unravelled the tangled web, and tbe minute, and at the same time comprehensive information furnished to the Assembly by him was invaluable^ Tbis appoiutment was fully discussed in the House, and sanctioned by it. We strongly protest against the doctrine, believed in apparently by our contemporary, that the " Evening Post" and its satellites monopolise all the intelligence and patriotism, and that the representatives of the people possess neither virtue. Mr 3 ohn Williamson, as Commissioner of Grown Lands, was paid oufc of provincial funds. There was no law when he was appointed against his having a seat in the Legislature, and no objection was taken to Mr Fitzherbert under analogous circumstances holding the office and seat simultaneously. Provisional trustees in bankruptcy are paid by fees for work done ; they receive no Government salary, and when Mr Macffarlane was appointed, there was no parliamentary disqualification of him on account of his holding that office. Mr W. Fitzgerald is a boy of about 16. The Minister of Justice hod him as a clerk for about six months, with a salary of £50 per annum. There had been under the late Government a youth in the Attorney-General's office with a similar salary, but who resigned about fifteen months ago, and whose place had not been filled up. Mr J. J. Fox is not accountant in the Defence Department, but to the Armed Constabulary, and former experience showed that the proper organisation of the force required an accountant. Mr W. K. M'Lean (no relation, we may say, to the Defence Minister) took the place in the Defence Department of an officer removed to another department. Mr Woon took the place of Mr Booth, who is superintending native road exploring and making under the Public Works Department. Mr N. Bussell was temporarily employed in the Native Office. The salaries in the Defence Offico in 1 868-9 amounted to £1,923 per annum ; in 1869-70 to £1620; and in December, 1870, were at the rate of £1520 per annum, furnishing, for this reduced amount, one, and sometimes two clerks, to the Inspector of Militia and Volunteers. The separate office of Under Secretary of Defence, with £600 a year, has been done away with. We must apologise to our readers for troubling them with small details, but we are compelled to do ao. Our contemporary's full - blown indictment dwindles into petty spites but as these, petty as they are, involve misrepresen tations, we refute them on the well-

known principle of evidence, that the witness who prevaricates and contradicts himself in small matters, is not a witness of truth. Of the civil service generally, and of new appointments, we would say that the statement quoted by our contemporary is, as he in fact, admits, misleading. The number of officers on the civil service on the roll of 1868 was 1474; in 1869, 1487; and in 1870, 1493. Of the officers on the roll on July Ist, 1870, twenty, four are paid by provinces (principally as goldfields officers) ten hold offices without any salary ; sixty-six officers such as coroners, Crown solicitors, &c, are paid by fees only, and fifty-four registrars of births, &c, are paid by fees, with a small sum added, if necessary, to make up the amount received to ilO per annum. The number, therefore, actually " drawing salaries from the colonial chest" was 1339. Of these 1339 there are 333 officers drawing salaries not exceeding £20 per annum, including 107 postmasters and postmistresses, at salaries not exceeding £5 per annum, and 123 more at salaries not exceeding £10 per annum. Of the 270 (not 271), appointments made between July Ist, 1869, and June 30th, 1870, the actual new appointments, which increase the staff, are only eleven, excepting new postmasters and telegraphists required by the opening of new offices, and as the latter classes amount to upwards of twenty, the staff must really have been reduced, the whole increase in the year being but six. When we consider the great increase of officers indispensable in the Tele graphic and Post Office Departments, and in new Departments created by or required under Acts of the General Assembly, we cannot see any foundation for the charge, so industriously and so maliciously promulgated against the present Government, of extravagance. Of course the authors want an election cry, and this, although without foundation, will it is supposed serve its purpose. We congratulate the Government on the fact that the cry is not that raised against the late Government, and in their case justly — the lavish expenditure of money in the shedding of blood, and the conversion of the Northern Island into a military camp.