The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1885. Abuse of Power

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 138, 7 May 1885, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1885. Abuse of Power

-cGoppxtfMEjrr by Under - Secretaries may be all very well as a means of saving Ministers a lot of unnecessary trouble, but it has its disadvantages. One groat objection to it is that these officials, after a few years of power, appear actually to imagine themselves to be the real governing body, and that Ministers are only nominal gol vernors, who strut for a brief season in that character on the political stage, while they wield the power behind the throne, and like the much quoted river 14 go on for ever." As a rule they are diplomatically discreet, and seldom grossly commit themselves. By the exercise of tact, and by proving to each succeeding Minister that they are almost indispensable, they manage to cling, with, that tenacity which, distinguishes the great Tite Barnacle family, to the submerged bottom of the Ship of State, until death or a green old age overtakes them. Still they are but human, and therefore liable to suffer from the frailties imd weaknesses inherent in our nature. In this connection the case of Major Noake, and his treatment by the Under-Secretary for Defence, Colonel Header, has now been brought prominently before the public by the Wanganui Herald and the Wellington Post. It appears that Col. Reader has made a blunder which is likely to cost him very dearly if the Minister for Defence is the man his friends and enemies believe him to be — that is honorable and j ust. We have nothing now to do with the past quarrel between the soldier Major Noake and the official Colonel Reader. The latter used his position to gratify Ms personal feelings, and the unlucky Major, who was— being a good soldier —utterly innocent of the courtier-like arts necessary to win the esteem of punctilious "paper soldiers" was by official insolence driven out of the service. We quote the following from ; the Post:— "Superior to any fooling of personal resentment, however, Major Noake, when' the present crisis arose, again offered his services, only to be met with a reply from 1 the Under-Secretary for Defence, Lieut-enant-Colonel Reader, that " should his services be required his application would be laid before the Defence Minister."; This is certainly a most extraordinary answer. It would appear that the UnderSecretary constitutes himself the judge of whether a man's services are required, and that it is only by gaining his favor in the first instance, that any offer of service finds its way before the Minister himself. In fact, it would appear that LieutenantColonel Header claims the power of' " running " the department as he likes, ' and regards the Minister as merely an official to give effect to what he deems necessary or desirable. We have before this expressed in very plain terms our opinion that Lieutenant-Colonel Reader, does not possess the qualifications which an Under-Secretary for Defence at the present timo should possess, and that bis occupancy of that office has been and is decidedly injurious to the Volunteer force of the colony. This letter to Major Noake tends to confirm this view. To return, however, to that officer's case, we must say that a etiongprima facie case lias been j made out of injustice done to him by the j late Minister of Defence and his, subordin- * ate permanent officials. We trust, therefore, that in this, as he has already done in other cases of a similar kind, Mr Ball ance will enquire into the matter for himself, and if he finds that any injustice has been done, will take immediate steps to remedy it, whether such a course be necessary or. not in the eyes of the Under-Secretory."