CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 172, 26 October 1877, Page 7

CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.

We commend to Sir George Grey and his colleagues the following remarks by the New York correspondent of the Melbourne Argus, in the hope that some similar steps will be taken to curtail tbe undue political power at present wielded by the civil servants of this Colony :~ cl President Hayes has taken the first practical and decided step in the direction of a reform of the Civil Service by divorcing it from politics. He has issued an order to all the officials of the service directing them that they shall not hereafter take any part in the management of political campaigns, either in conventions or committees. If Mr Hayes has the firmness to carry out this order in its spirit, he will do a great deal towards removing a monstrous evil and a source of infinite demoralisation in the Civil Service. Its' issue has created tremendous excitement among the officeholders, nearly everyone of whom is connected in some way with the Republican party. They cry out that the party will go to pieces 'without their services,, and ask who is to do the " work " which they have been used to doing. The obvious answer is, r fhat a great deal of their " work " has been useless and mischievous, being performed not to give the party success over its opponents, but to enable their particular favourites to control the party, and moreover, the party won the national government from the Democrats without the aid of one federal official, while the Democrats have -just won the popular branch of Congress from rhe Republicans in the teeth of some 60,000 federal officials, all " working " in full blast. I fully believe that the pernicious system of using Government patronage as a reward for party services, and services to party leaders, is the root of the larger part of the difficulties which beset representative institutions m this country."