A MONSTROUS JOB.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume X, Issue 931, 1 August 1891, Page 3

A MONSTROUS JOB.

; i. To thvEdiior.] 7 Sir,— The ways of Government are proverbially, mysterious and those of our (irflsyot rulers appear to ba preeminently 80. ,_, v . „,.,.-. j They have made many changed among Old public servants professedly m the m t'erests ,bf recoriomy. ; We; trust i this has been sacured, for judging by the complaints which are heard qb many sides the changes' have not beeVrfor the public convenience. The change which was recently made m the Registration of electors for this district and with regard to which some information is now. forthcoming, affords Ellesmere men an opportunity of judging how far the conduct of the Government has been really influenced by consider/* tions of pubjie interest. i Some time' ago Mr ' l^ee' 'who has' for many years acted as Registrar of electors ! or this eleotpra) , distnet, ; residing, at Southbridge, and rittendiDg weekly at Lees^on, was promoted to (Wellington, and of course another ' Registrar was re iquired. •'• ; '-. ' • i-"'; ■■■'■' '"'' ■•• ■ ■:,■-< , It would have been eaey to combine these duties with those of some other Government official located m this district, and thevefore accessible to the electors, whether they are on the North or South side of the Rakaia river. Instead of this what has been done? The., answer, is given by a return ordeied on' lire ihotion'of'Slr-John -Halli' snowing all recent dismissals from, and app>intmeots" to, the public service, another member moved for copies of aM correspondence relating; 10 i, changes. Both returns have been laid on the table of Parliament, and., are therefore public property. The v«>ry first items m this coneßpondence refer ,to the ..El.leß.mere Regiatrafship, and th«y wi 1 interest if not please the Elleemero electors. The Coldriinl yeclretary with' whom the appointment appeurs to rent took action j witluut delay after Mr Lee'H promotion.; Ono would have thought ha would have; corijm'unifiatea ; ..w|th." Ifome atsiljorjity, or o^|ioerf..cflnjei^aQt j gw.jil^ |iio. lipo|liiy,v in-| stead of that he telegraphs— of all people m the world — Mr Joyce, the member for. Akaroa, and stanoh supporter of the Government, , The telegram is as follows ;— < • ! -' !: - S:! *'■ ! oth- June, 1891. J. Joyce Esq, M.H R. Registrar of electors', Ellesmere, vacant; by rernovnl of Mr H. M. Lee. Could MrEast take . that; diatrict ■ pending vacancy for Snlw\n nnd should that become vacant ' could not he do the work of both. (Signed) P. A. Buckley. ; Mr Joyce nothing loth, answers forthi with by telegram as follows : — 6lh June, 1891. Mr P. A. BocKLBY. Wellington, Thanks for wire. Mr Etis* will take Registrar of electors Ellesmere district, he will ba.able to do the work for Selwyn m addition when present official vacates. Gazette at once for EMestoero (Signed) John Joyce And then wichout further communication with anybody there ensues the ap pointment at a salary of £15 per year of Mr I'la«t who resides near Prebbleton m the Hulsioell district, fifteen" miles from Leeston, twenty from Southbridge and thirty from Rakaia, whicli is about thicentre nf this electoral district. What on earth can be said m defence of such conduct? It amouutH to making übo of Government patronage, not to promote

! the •' public convenience, but to Ihrrtw \ onwer into the hands of blind poliiioul Bnpnortern I Undor the new Bleotoral Bi'J v^nn-i* m tlin PJlect iral Roll must bft freqivnt ..n-l Hwe'p'np. Blecf-nrs rrny_ fur innny i"-i---snnß he Htruck off and c o n rtnly n- ! n/»»iiiy whether, nr not this has b nn don* or '■■• v they etan'l by implications to th" i^gi^trit'ion officor. In such a larsfft dietric >>h this is such npcosaity evrfn with a n "In -er residing m a contral pnsifiin mii<»r bo * m>uica (tf trouble and oxppineand wiUi fl(f appronchin? cititent plaoen the candi<lute po^easing li'tle leisrire and left? money ut a srrofif disndvnntagi cnmparel with hi-* bettor furnished oppinrn\ For the e'ectora Soutb of the Ralcuiu to ha^e to come to Southbridge or Leeaton wait oad finmi3;h, but to add another twenty miles to their journey will m many cases scmriint to practical dhfrunchiße'nen'', and Mr East, the protH^o uf Mr Joyce M.H.R. and stannoh Government supporter may have £15 put into hi* pocket. Such proceedings require only to be made Known and exposed to call down upon the head of a Government guilty of them tbe censure of: every elector m ihe district. Havinsr ta'cen a liftlo trouble to 1 elicit the abovn facts I trust Sir, you with others will call, ,ths\ ■ attention of our representative to our grievance. — Yours, &«.' Walter Spuing. Leeßton, Jnly 30th, 1891.