LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 13, 23 December 1911, Page 17

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE LICENSING POLL. Sir,—With interest I read the column in your yesterday's (21st instant) issue, headed "Licensing l' 0" Inconsistency,'' telling of tho remarks made by a Mr. Palmer, of tlio Licensed Victuallers' Association, when interviewed. Tlio results given in his quotations aro worth noting, and as these wore from tho returns as given to tho press as shown in their issuo of the Bth instant, etc., throughout tho Dominion, must form some guide to tho present state of affairs. Tho closing remarks wtro: "If wo want to save (ho position, aiid to conserve the liberty of tho subject, wo must profit by tho exwnplu of our vigilant and ever-active opponents, and set about educating the people ourselves upon important issues on which they are called to express uu opinion, if wo fail to do that., we can only look for defeat at tho polls in 19M." This is well worth attention, but surely tho late results as regards prohibition, or oven No-License, are not for tha Licensed Victuallers' Association to mourn over. Tliey have conducted (heir fight quite equal to their so-callid opponents, and with oven more respectful conduct. Of course, the term now applied to the clergy mixing up in these affairs may be rough on the few tluit would denounce all coarso practices, but have ■ not tho alliance clerics for years been worse than tho Wade and raoro needing improvement. The term did not (if it fits) originate with the "trade." I can think of nothing else in their past that requires greater improvement than tho alliance agitators' doings for years past. But I have no connection with either party. Surely the clergy have much to do to improve and set their own house in order in these times of advanced thought. I cannot see, looking at tho published returns of the results of tho late election regarding New ZealaAd prohibition, much for the friends of the "trade" to trouble over. Taking the figures in the annexed table dealing with the No-License districts, the votes for restoration of license at 1911 (with tho allowances made) were better than at the 1908 election by 5383 voters, thus proving that in this Dominion, in districts where No-Liconse or Prohibition has long been tried, it is fast getting lees liked, just as in America, where, long tried, it is.fast decaying in influence. I was lately much pleased to read your report of some (remarks made at St. Peter's by tho Archdeacon C. C. Harper in a sermon denouncing the sayings and doings of some clerics on behalf of tho alliance, which was dono as a'so-called Christian duty. I am glad to 6ay that those slanderers of tho opposers of the alliance party and their' 1 leaders, are not so frequently found in the Anglican and Roman connection as outside.—-I am, etc., B. WIGHTMAN. Wellington, December 23, 1911. THE VOTING IN' NO-LICENSE DISTRICTS. 332S>KKS , cgGfr w ~2.Es £.5 «! Sfflß & g SS'SSSSsh. SE £, £? i ■ : • 1i!j: i : f : I . S-jj'j.; I I • j.j.j g. i-i H-t mmmw* m m w'»-* >-* J<o-License * S' ■ ooooooocoSS First carried. .< ...COOO.OOWBCOO.C.COCSW a w l-s ts ts mtotow ts to w > otes O 'bn'lMOpooMMo'iotso Given in ° sla&ssssgsssg; 1908. * W WMWWWBMHM £ Given in 0 m attSwuSSMMtalo 1911. ■S.U, d w : -M 1911. •§' o'ScvSfS-gggp', ig« More than .S to o ifno aa S I l i-sr 1908, 8> Ss co ei" " 1911 H H S I 111 II IBS-I I Less than §' gm ' 1 ™ ,«,",»»» o,*Votes | § SSISSSSSogSa Giwn in i" w 5-analyses igQg. §»" WMMCOM VoteS 2. m "iSaSSSfoSg&Si" Given in m 1 OiOMSOIUOHgHOO jgjj u rf §.<= ' 1911. w I § i MillfjiSs o°Brothan0 ° B rothan I Wohm a. 1911 loss cr. » &S3BI 131 II I than 1908 § S o'w >- Net Increase 8'oMO"o'a ti-u' m ' for «|wS£Boo2mct.l;o I Restoration. J . - : Net Decrease Si I I 1.1 1.1 I lwl.ee for Eestoration THE CIVIL SERVICE AND SECOND < BALLOT. Sir,—The socond ballotson Thnrsday offer to all Civil Servants an opportunity or ridding themselves of their present political masters, who. have so long abused their interests in the cause of political corruption.' The Service is seething with discontent at the latest act of the Government in proposing to classify them, and' the consideration of proposed appeals will occupy the boards for some years, a board, by the way, that makes its classification and then hears appeals from its own rulings. The scheme is paltry in its incentives to energy, and qualification. By all Civil Servants' it is admitted that its effect will be to reduce all to a dead level, «s a man of energy has no incentive to excel in his work, and as long as.he keeps clou of the.; criminal law his small increment is assured. Its effect in the end will bo to decrease output, and to cause tho necessity of increased staffs. Probably this is what the present government desires, as it will have increased patronazo for its-horde of political hangers-on—fail-ures in outside life. Unduly favoured as the Post Office has been in its classification by tho Prime Minister, its classification has not been thought sufficient for Ministerial proteges, even though this Department is the most routine of the Service. On the Supplementary Estimates is to bo seen an increase of .£35 to a salaried officer of tho Post Offioe over and above his classified salary of ,£425. A private secretary, wheso classified salary is £355, gets £110 over and above that, with an increase now of £35. Another private secretary, whose clafsified salary is £370, an additional ,£BO, and now a further £25. This shows that a classification is not considered good enough for proteges employed as private secretaries—really typists doing much the same work as girls at £100 a year in the Departments. A certain statesman (?), now no longer a member of the present Ministry, declared on leaving it that he had never made a political appointment in his life. Consider his words with his deeds. On retiring, his private secretary was appointed over the heads of a whole Department at a salary fhreo times as great as ho would havo been getting if he had legitimately been appointed in the first instance to the service, and allowed to take the same increments as officers equal to and better than himself in education ind ability. This individual, whoso jualifications consisted in his father aeing chairman of tho Minister's election lommittee, was appointed to the Civil Service without passing tho Civil Service !xaminatious. Some years afterwards ho massed the Junior Civil Service, over 300 lown on tho list—very near tho bottom— vhen to get a place in the service legitinately he would have, had to pass within ho first 30. He was then taken on as tho Minister's private secretary, and, as lie :ould not do shorthand, a makeshift aplointment was mado while ho worked at l shorthand school trying to acquire a ow rato of speed. To enable him to obain n salary of over £200 a year he rould have hud to pass the Senior Civil Service examination, but as that was beond him he was appointed as an expert !)—in theory an expert in shorthand and ypewriting, in reality in wire-pulling. Lfter a rapid series of promotions ho was ventually pitchforked into tho Departicnt in manner already given. While using this case as an illustration f the methods of administration pursued y tho Government, and its illustrious iredecessor, it may be pointed out that he only member of his family was like,'iso pitchforked into the service. His athor's zeal for tho Minister was rewardd by such pickings as clerk of works, tc., in sundry Government contracts, 'licse are only one or two instances out f hundreds of what is going on and has one on in the service. In tho Justice Department the system M dxivoa. out nil tho promising pjflcoxs.

As soon as a vacancy occnrrcd offering legitimate promotioa to a promising officer who had taken the ' trouble ,to qualify himself for the position, it was handed over to some bailiff or constable with a pull. Recently tho bailiff at Wellington retired. One would have thought the as- „ sibtant bailiff, who had hod the Arudg- , ory for over thirty years, would havo got ! the position; but uo, the messenger with a few years service "got there." ' Recently an ofliocr in another office, " disgusted with the system, retired. His f retirement would havo afforded, under ' any decent system, an opportunity for (he ■j promotion of some promising junior. ® This placo went, however, to tiio son-in-law (a broken-down'solicitor) of the head ® of tho Department. • ! " So the miserable and loatlisomo story ® could be prolonged ad infinitum—a story I which, when repeated, would equal, if not exceed, the worst features of Auicrih can Taiiimanyism. '■ In every Department' dissatisfaction is u rampant—dissatisfaction based upon real u aud substantial wrongs and injuries inu iljcted upou those unwilling, to grovel on the Ministerial door-mat, umvilling to y form the "old guards" at banquets, i, "spontaneous" welcomes, at railway tlae tious and Homo boats to Ministers. Tho II Government dangled tho bait of classificat tion beforo the sorvico for years as somei, thing worth having—it gives tho present t. wretched makeshift. Tho Prime Minise ter, in an apologetic strain, said, in e effect, that though it was poor, ho would, o oil tha Supplementary Estimates, provide 0 decent increases. A perusal of . thoso n Estimates will show.'in what manner his j. promises to tho service have been fulfilled. If All tlwso in tho Civil Service ready to IS stand on their merits (and they aro tho „ great majority) are anxious for a change X and a trial of the system of tho Opposition. They can do something to attain ' that end .by voting Reform on .Thursday. „ ~-I am, etei, • DISGUSTED, d [The above letter has been in typo for some days, and we wero not able to find i, space for it beforo the second ballot. As o much of its interest still remains, wo pube lisli it now.] >e - — i — if <) ARCHDEACON HARPER'S SERMON. >' 15 Sir, —Wo havo heard a great deal of i® objection-, from a oertain quarter lately 13 regarding the above sermon. This l > sermon happened to give both sides somp 11 strong advice, but ns the No-Liceuso party seemed to havo had tho worse time , r of it, they are feeling very soro. Ido not '• wish to enter into a, long controversy * over this matter,-all.'l wish to say is d why do they object to a clergyman speak- ■® ing out his mind? Some of tho -]\T o- <' Licenso parly have stated that as Arcli- ' deacon Harper could not havo'said anyo thing in favour' of No-Licenso- he shouid 't have said, nothing at all. Well, this 'is <l a one-sided argument" of theirs. •Do the •i No-License party object to the Rev: J. J. North and co. tolling the people' to strike out tho top line from their ptilpits? If they don't', they have no' right to object because a sermon happens to be chiefly against them. Had tho Arch-" deacon preached an out. and out "Prohibition sermon," nothing would "probably bo publicly objected, to it. • Thoso who aro now feeling ■ soro. would have hailed him as their champion. Either "A Man in tho Street" and Mr. Milligan did not hear the'whole of the sermon, or else they are absolutely narrow minded. Tho writer heard-tho wholo of : the sermon, and, judging from tho preacher'sremarks, lie ■ (Archdeacon Harper) is. a strong- believer in true. lemperance.r-I am, etc., . - -. . 4 " FAIR-PLAT. } Wellington, - December 21. 3: * . j- . THAT SERMON. m Sir.,—Would you allow mo a . small j space ,in your "paper of .Liberty" .to protest against: tho extravagant language' « of'.;A"r(:hdeacon Harper in a sermon at 4 St: ;Peter's. Church, respecting; one. of lour most rcsproted .citizens, tho EcV, Mr. j Dawson. Now, will Mr. Earner como j out in the oj)en and repeat his statements? He cfin say what he likes under ooyer of, a "religious meeting,"."an^lvaf- * cording'to law'no oho can''"<«» i, (rightly so, too). Will ho take "a'public Ihall, away from his church, on a weck'r day, and preach his sermon over again? j I giiess lio'is not prepared_ to do so. 'Ho no doubt has a right to his own opinion, and can also give expression to. it; .but ! whon he comes to cast reflections on, our - fellow-citizens, who enjoy the respect and confidenoe of "both sides" it is quite time tho rev. gentleman was pulled up. —I am, etc., . ... . A CITIZEN. AN ELECTION "JOKE." . Sir, —As a visitor to New Zealand and one who has had considerable political experience, may. I ask if it's the usual custom for candidates in this country, to' send jibing ■ telegrams to an ■ opponent on the eve of election? Wednesday last in , tho Totvii Hall,'- against- a musical;, background of . "See. the ■ -Conquering... Hero. Comes," I was astounded -to hear Mr v P. ■ M..8. : Fisher announce Lhat he had just sent a; "wire" , to Mr.. Fletcher at. tho Druids' Hall saying: "Wouldn't you like to give me a hundred pounds for. my chance to-morrow," or words to that effect. I' concluded, however, the remark, was merely a very bad joke and' not • meant, but have recently been informod by an pye-witness that this * amazing telegram was actually received and read but at Mr. Fletcher's meeting. Neither of these gentlemen is known to me,' but is it'customary for your public men to bahavo with such unpardraablobad taste which would hardly bo excused, in anl impertinent school boy?—l an,, etc.; : .11. E. ASQUITH. ' "Oarltori Club," London* THOSE MOTOR-CARS. Sir,—As an interested render of ; political event?, .although a'.resident of; tho . back-blocks, I-read. Sir Joseph- Wnwl's remarks :about. thoso m<?t<jr-cai:s, and, wondered if he really meant them,' -As•■■■ an owner of. several, I believe, does 'lie erudgo the - workers, that one free-ride? surely not. And has-he so little respect for their reasoning powers that he honestly thinks that- one free' ride in 'a motor-car would have such an influence, on their votes? I fear Sir Joseph" Ward wasn't a cricketer .in';bis .youth—J. am,. CtC " :: : REFORM. • Taihape, December 16.' . ■