LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1640, 6 January 1913, Page 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE PUBLIC SERVICE. Sir,—According to a paragraph in today's Dominion, the Chief Commissioner of the Public Service declined to discuss the question of classification with your reporter, but contented himself with tho remark that tho Civil Servants would later on bo made acquainted with the intentions of the Commissioners regarding this and other matters. Well, when the Commissioners are dealing with tho classification it is to be hoped they will get into touchwith tho lower grades, for they will not then bo so likely to bo misled as to the real state of affairs. It is obvious that if their inquiries are confined to the higher grades (many of whom owe their positions to tho fact that they were, and still are,-members of the great "Spoils" party), the latter will not admit anything likely to jeopardise themselves; on the contrary, they will be more likely to band together to hoodwink the Commissioners. I would propose that the Commissioners should issuo a circular to the wholo' rank and filo of the Service, asking to bo supplied with particulars of any anomalies: and they would then probably find that in many instances incapability was rewarded with the higher, salary, whilst the capable man was often overlooked—a result of "spoils to the victors'" policy. ' According to some recent promotions and appointments, the members of the old "Spoils" party manage to keep on top in.any case; no doubt duo to the Government accepting as infallible the advice of their Departmental heads.—l am, etc., , X.Y.Z. January .4, 1913. RAILWAY MISMANAGEMENT. Sir,—l do not desire to join the chorus of disapproval of Mr. Herries's management of railways, because I concede - to him the proposition that he must necessarily leave matters of general detail to the staff, and the inability of that body of men to do anything better than that which they .now do shows plainly the necessity which existed for securing the services of an English expert. I voice, I 1 think, the general opinion that the present management could not be worse than it is. Take a few-instances: On Christmas Eve the residents at Johnson-ville-naturally, desired to get to Wellington,: and when the New Plymouth mail in tho evening arrived there a large body of people awaited for the purpose of travelling by it. : They were told that tic-, kets could not'be sold to' Wellington by that train, though'it was half empty.. Some resolute people chanced it, ' and boarded the train. At Khandallah tho same thing occurred, and, strange to say, that' thoso who thus ventured, journeyed to Wellington, and no guard even asked anyone of the half hundred people for a 'fare. • . ■ i No person at any tinie receives voluntary assistance from a porter; women and children and aged people' are "left • to struggle with. luggage- as best they caii. I am not now speaking of this state of things during the holiday rush, but generally at all times. The last time I, an elderly man of nearly seventy, left Wellington'.by. an afternoon train I passed three porters Sitting on > a'luggage trolly on my way to the strain. Not one of them offered me any assistance, though I carried more, than I-could well manage, and a fellow-passenger gave me- the assistance'!! had a right to expect from the porter paid by the public to perform such .services. No self-respecting mail would ask aid from men who then were apparently without j oversight shirking plain v duty. The trains are invariably dirty, dust accumulates, and no one takes any notice of that. . Thd lavatories at many stations are indescribable, notably, those at Palmerston North; where ' astream of water flows .which is insanitary to a degree. The refreshment rooms would appear to have no .one to overlook them, and I honestly think that in tho majority" of cases that'which is provided for passengers would not bp tolerated anywhere else-than ih"New''Zealand. I- am nware that -nothing can be expected until tho arrival of 'the expert, •butas it is, lunderstand, the practice to notice complaints thus made, -though seldom remedied, I hope; these few instances, of ineptitude on' the .part of the. authorities may reach the ear of the new-comer.r-I am, etc., . TRAVELLER. V _ OVERSEAS CLUB. . , Sir,—Your correspondent, Captain, Young,\No. 8072, 0.5.C., is completely mistaken in supposing that the Welling-, ton the Ovorseas. Club' 'has allowed the "anonymous letter' published' in your issue .of-December 17 to pass unnoticed. I, as local secretary, sent that letter on at once to Mr. Wrench, believing that he/from his intimate knowledge of the facts, was best qualified to conclusively refute., the accusation contained in it. As Mr. Wrench was moving from place to place my communication did not immediately reach him. I now have his reply: "We have had attacks of this kind to face in all parts of tho world; I am iiiclin£d to think that tho statements made are so ridiculous that the best plan is to ignore them.' When I come I will deal with the matter in my speed}/" . The Overseas Club, was founded for the objects as 6et . forth in ' its prospectus. Among tho supporters of tho Overseas Club are most >of the leading statesmen in the British Empire. H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught,. the Governors-General of Canadi, who received Mr. Wrecli at the Citadel, Quebec, in June last, authorised the. statement to bo mado that "he was in the deepest sympathy with the Overseas Club movement." As recently as October last, H.R.H., when replying to an address presented by tho Letnbridge (Alberta)',' Canada Branch of the Overseas Club, remarked: "Gentlemen,— "I lave much pleasure in receiv- ' ing your address, for it gives me an opportunity of saying in public how very fully I sympathise with the objects of the' Overseas Club. ; ."Your task will, not always be -an easy one, for mischievous or foolish people will sometimes miunderstand your intentions, and will- try to invest - your work with a political character, which those who hava tho interests of the club at heart do their utmost to avoid. . "Your membership is marching iproudly on towards tne 100,000, and in tendering the Lethbridge Branch my heartfelt wishes for its future success, . I tender them also to the entire Overseas Club, with the hope that their members 1 may always continue to increase, and' that their work may* 6pread further and further afield to the lasting benefit of. tho British Empire." As far as New Zealand is conoernea, your readers will recollect the gTeat interest the late : Governor, Lord Islington, took in the movement. During his term of office, lie opened, in his official capacity,: no fewer" than seven branches of tho Overseas Club in the Dominion. ' An opportunity will be afforded to, the public to hear what the London'Orgariiser, Mr. Wrench, has to say at the public meeting to .be held in this city on the 23rd instant, and all friends, anonymous or otherwise, will be most welcome, and at a proposed conference; the following doy speaial opportunity will be_ afforded for airing grievances and analysing their substance—l am, etc., , . AV. de R. BARCLAY, Hon. Secretary Wellington Branch. 8 Wesley Road, Wellington. January 4,. 1913. f