The Globe. FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 1879.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1575, 7 March 1879, Page 2

The Globe. FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 1879.

The New Zealand Gazette of the 13th of last month contains a list of the successful candidates in the Civil Service examination. In tho return giving the results of tho senior examination the names of 10 successful candidates are mentioned, in the junior the names of 53, making 72 in all. But as the names of 6 candidates appear in both the senior and junior lists, 66 is the real number of youths that passed tho examination. Of those only 3 came from Canterbury — Nelson and Auckland furnished by far the greater number. We give the number

credit (id to oacli part of the country in order of magnitude —Nelson 22, Auckland 16, Otago 7. Wellington 6, Malborongli 4. Canterbury and Napier each d, New Plymouth and Invercargill each 2, Hokitika 1. It seems curious at first sight, that Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago should only ho credited with 9 successful candidates, while Nelson and Auckland between them score 28. The Nelson papers wore, jit first, ruth or jubilant over the success of their boys, but after a few days the real bearings of the facts began to dawn upon them, and their tone of triumph vanished. Of course, it is not from tho superior acuteness of Nelson and Auckland hoys, that

tho mimes of such a largo number ap- j pear in tho Gazelle, but from tho simple | fact that tho Wellington, Canterbury, and | Otago parents are not in love with tlio New \ Zealand Civil Service. In those pro- j vineos where business is most stirring, j and where there are tho most numerous openings for boys in all branches of trade, j and of tho liberal professions, in these | provinces it is evident that tho j Civil Service is not in good odor. And really this is not to he wondered at. Compare tho prospects of a boy who outers a merchant’s or lawyer’s office, or a bank, with those of a successful candidate for the Civil Service, and the comparison is by no means in favour of the latter. In tho former there are professional prizes to bo gained, and an industrious and steady lad will eventually he always sure of a good independence. But with regard to a civil servant, it may almost said that there are no prizes in his line of life at all. Tho pay is small, and tho official is always liable to be harrassed at the whim of tho Ministry that may happen to bo in power. The lesson wo may fairly deduce from tho latelypublished examination list is, that tho Civil Service of New Zealand is looked upon as a dernier resort . and that no parent who saw any prospect of even moderately well providing for his son in any other lino would, for an instant, think of turning him into a Government official. The true fact of tho case is that our Civil Service can hardly be called a Service at all. There is nothing definite, nothing decided about the position of individuals who are in it. Tho very officials themselves do not know how they stand. They are placed on a sandbank which shifts with every Ministerial tide. There is no esprit de corps in the body, indeed it is not a service at all in the ordinary acceptation of the term. Young men enter it. and are glad to shuffle out of it as soon as possible and embark in some ordinary occupation, whore talent, industry, and length of service are rewarded. This is very unsatisfactory. The country cannot expect to bo as well served by a body of discontented men as it would be by a well contented one. No private firm could possibly expect such a phenomenon, and why should tho country. Wo are casting no reflection on the present Civil Service. Indeed it is wonderful what a painstaking and energetic body they are, considering all they have to put up with. But what wo say is that tho service is in an unsatisfactory condition, that no good purpose is served by leaving it in its present state, and that it would be likely for tho future to attract into its ranks far higher talent, If its conditions wore revised, and if it wore made a service in fact as well as in name. Tho outside public can hardly conceive tho extraordinary manceuvrings that have for years being going on with a view of cutting down the Civil Service list. About eight years ago a notification was issued that all pensions would bo stopped, and it was stated that all claims which civil servants possessed by reason of their respective lengths of service would bo capitalised on a scale, for the purpose of relieving the Government of all further responsibility in the matter of such pensions. The civil servants sent in statements of their length of service, &c., and waited anxiously for replies, but none came, for the Government took a much shorter cut to the desired end by throwing tho civil servants over entirely in this matter, and to this day tho civil servants who held office before the formal abolition of pensions, and who entered the service on the understanding that they would be entitled to a retiring allowance, confess themselves all at sea when asked on tho subject. The Government, however, did really make one move in tho matter, and a move that showed an unbounded affection for those in its employ. A short time back it sent round a circular, pointing out the fact that a Govorumeut Insurance Office existed, and that, if the civil servants wore to insure in it, provision thereby ho made for their wives and children in case of accident! What marvellous news ! What extraordinary solicitude ! The Civil Servants had certainly heard that such institutions as Insurance Offices existed; but still it was most kind of tho Government to take care that the fact should not by any possibility escape their observation. Now, wo are not in any way advocating an extravagant expenditure on the Civil Service; far from it; wo think it is one of tho first duties of any Government to see that its cost of administration is kept as low as is consistent with efficiency. But we maintain that better and more work is always done by a body of men who possess an esprit de corps , who can look to their employment as a permanent one, and who are proud of it. Lot the Government turn their attention from the rewarding of friends with lucrative appointments, and let thorn try to put the Civil Service on some satisfactory footing. Tho public will bo gainers thereby. At present the Government are doing their best to make the%Bervice a more refuge for tho destitute.