DELIBERATE OBSTRUCTION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1550, 20 September 1912, Page 4

DELIBERATE OBSTRUCTION.

The anti-Reformers in Parliament have made ifc very plain that they are determined to use every means within their power to block the Bill providing for the reform of the Civil Service. Every pretext has been seized on by these members to obstruct the, passage of the measnre regardless of the waste of time involved and the cost to tho country. Since they obviously are not open to reason—since their only purpose is to defeat the proposal of the Government to remove the Public Service of the country beyond the reach of the demoralising influence of political control—Mr. Massey cannot afford to temporise any longer with the factious opposition shown to tho Hill. The time has come to fight. The anti-Reformers should be exposed to the country in their true colours, and the reason for their obstructive tactics made clear. That they should wish to preserve the vicious system under which the Continuous Ministry found billets for its friends and supporters and advanced them in the Service to the disadvantage of those who had no political "pull" to assist them, is not • surprising. It is surprising, however, to think that! the remnants of that once powerful party should be so foolish as to think they can stand in the way of the reforms demanded by the country without goU ting hurt. At the last general election Civil Service Reform was one of the strongest planks in the platform of the Reform party, and the people of New Zealand expect that reform to be carried out. Ifc is in its way pathetic to note the gronnds of objection some of the Opposition are raising in the attempt to cover the real cause of their action. They quote odd telegrams alleged to come from Civil Servants—probably they are genuine enough in most' cases— and pretend to believe that these stray objections are sufficient reason for abandoning this great reform. Could anything be more absurd 1 Do they really think they can hoodwink the public in this fashion 1

Even supposing there should he any large proportion of the Public Service opposed to the reform—and there is not the least evidence that there is—it would be no reason for staying a reform which is not only designed to benefit the Public Service itself, but which is also for the good of the whole country. Admitting that it is desirable to meet the wishes of the members of the Public Service wherever possible, the plain fact cannot be ignored that the Public Service exists for the country's benefit, not for the benefit of the Public Servants. By all means provide that the Public Service shall be adequately paid; that the working conditions shall be reasonable and the opportunities for advancement fair and equitable; but when that is conceded it is for the people of the country, and not for the Civil Servants themselves, to say who is to be at the head of the Service. And of course the Civil Servants know this quite well and the great bulk of them recognise the fairness of, and are in agreement with, the main proposals in Jin. Herdman's Bill. Tile Government has shown itself ready to meet the wishes of tho Public Service as far as possible, and its attitude generally speaking has given widespread satisfaction. But it cannot hope to satisfy everyone, and least of all tho members of the Opposition who wish to retain the old power of political patronage. Mr. Massey, we should imagine, has been too long in Parliament to be deceived by the pretexts put forward by the anti-Reformers, in their endeavour )n kill the Bill. He will, we trust, now make it uer-

fectly clear that- if fcho members of the Opposition wish to persist in their obstructive tactics lie will give them ample time in which to exercise their ingenuity. The Government, in face ot the behaviour of the Opposition in wasting the time of the House in wilful obstruction, is justified in forcing members to undergo the inconvenience of late sittings and if necessary, continuous sittings, until the Bill is passed. Since the above was in type some progress has been made with the Bill and there are signs that the Opposition are weakening. They will lie wise to confine themselves to legitimate criticism.