The Western Star. (PUBLISHED BI-WEEKLY.) SATURDAY, SEPT. 14, 1889.

Western Star, Issue 1389, 14 September 1889, Page 2

The Western Star. (PUBLISHED 81-WEEKLY.) SATURDAY, SEPT. 14, 1889.

When the railway estimate* were before the House last week the Government were naturally taken to task over the appointment ot the railway Commissioners, but the great howl that was raised at the time the selections were made, and the rows registered by some members to smite the Ministry hip and thigh for making the appointments, vanished into, comparatively speaking, thin air. Most members, no doubt, were of opinion that the Commissioners should have at least a fair show of proving their capabilities and it would most certainly be in bad taste to harass them by saying unkind things of them. The appointments have been made and cannot be revoked for five years. But during the discussion it came out, what all along has been suspected, that the Ministry—at all events the leading lights therein—did not desire to obtain an expert in railway matters from the old country. According to the instructions of Parliament applications were invited in England for the post of Commissioner, and a gentleman (Mr Rees) in every way qualified to fulfil all the requirements laid down, offered his services, but failing to get any satisfactory answer to his application, accepted another position. However, there is nothing to be gained in dilating or arguing on the question as to whether or not it would have been better to secure an expert from Home. The Ministry were actuated by the best of motions in appointing the gentleman they did, and we have yet to learn that any mistake has been made. As might have been expected the work of | the Commissioners came under the re- j view of the House, and members gene- ' rally spoke in high terms of what bad j been accomplished under the new j regioni But there is one matter we j would like to draw attention to and it ■ : s this: In their ardour to effect j economies the Commissioners are said j to be taking on hands at what can only bo termed by ns starvation wages. This cannot lie too strongly reprobated. We are quite convinced the country does not desire that public servants should be ground down to,

such an extent that it makes it barely possible to eke out an existence. Happily the evils of sweating are being nipped in the bud in this colony. But it does savour of sweating when lads are put on, away from home, to do men’s work, at 3s a day. It is freely stated that the Railway Department are taking young men on at that rate. Let us hope that there is no foundation for the report, but if there is we trust that the voice of the people will be heard to say that: if the railways can only be made to pay by such means, it is better that they be run at a loss. ■ A paragraph appeared in our columns a few issues ago, stating that since the Commissioners took office a very large number of hands had been discharged, and savings effected to the extent of £60,000. Although the Commissioners have effected great savings (some £40,000 we believe) the statement that appeared had’reference to the New South Wales’ railways.