THE CIVIL SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1248, 3 October 1911, Page 4

THE CIVIL SERVICE.

"APPOINTMENTS WHICH CAUSED MEN TO 13I,Uf>H." (By Teleera ph.--Press Association.) Christcliurch, October 2. At tho Civil .ServiceAssuciii'.ion's dinner on Saturday night, Sir. J. lieid, the secretary, remarked tliat tlm service, to his mind, was composed ol lour uillorcnt classes, 'i'hero were the modest retiring gentlemen, tho men who preferred to blush unseen, and who 'would rather sutler their wrongs than vent tlieir grievances. They wore, lie believed, ashamed of die f-orviee, forgetting that it was a most important lactor in the life, of the people. They ignored tho fact which they all knew mat in tho iiniuo of the Civil Service, appointments wero iiiiulo wliich caused men to blush for Die people, who were, responsible lor them. Secondly there were the. siijierior persons who looked with disdain on the enthusiasts. These need not bo considered. Thirdly, thiuu were tlio indifferent "iiino to five-" men. These were the men covered with rust and dust, who were the clogs in the wheels of tlio Civil Service. Lastly, there were the enthusiasts, Hie men who recognised that there wero wrongs, and that thero were, means to remedy these wrongs. The association, lie contended, was an extremely live body, wlich lost no opportunity oi' improving the conditions of the service. Ho claimed that the passing of the Superannuation Act and its improvement was due to tho association. If it had not been for the association, the proposal to reducb to .£3OO Iho jseiisions of those who wero originally contributors _ would have been carried. It liad been said that classification was not an unmixed blessing, but he held that it was a blessing. The thing for tlio association to do was to get the scheme, nnd then having Rot it, improve it. He contended that appointments were made which wore repugnant to the mass of Civil Servants, who considered that promotion should be by merit. Every man present knew of examples of men being pushed on ahead of younger men possessing better examination nnd other quuHlications of. every kind. The association gave the members of the Civil Service a chance of formulating their obi jections and pl.icin? before tho Government and the public the claims of the younger members of tho service. The association elood_ lor all that was good, true, and pure in the Civil Service, and ho appealed to every member of it to join and make the service a stronger and bettor Bei vice, worthy of tho country to which they belonged. (Loud applause.)