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Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1920, Page 2

How often were we told that the war was going to change everything, and bring a new era of fellowship and cooperation. The comradeship of the trenches, the abnegation of those who, made sacrifices was to continue and transfigure national life. Has this happened? Mr Willoughby, an English writer in the course of a discussion on the subject, does not think so. He finds as much selfishness, ns much prejudice, as much greed ns before. If human nature in the bulk has altered it has not been for the better. We sometime? say rather complacently that Britain has passed through a silent revolution; Mr Willoughby agrees, ihut suggests that the national character has not been improved thereby. It has become

instable. Once the British prided hemselves on their poise and balance; ‘ iut phlegm is no longer a British t rait. “It’s requiem was sung by the t rowd on the night of the armistio-. t [he throng which greeted the two air. nen who failed to fly the Atlantic, md all but ignored" the two others vho a while later made a* successful irossing, were moved by emotions that lot long ago would have been styled mad, hysterical, un-Einglish. An anthropologist hints that our little dark [berian ancestor ia at last conquering the big blonde men who so long held j him in thrall. In all classes of society

here is a, passion for direct action and j violence. The idea of the political | itrike synchronises with the prevalence < )f the crime passionel. . . The Car-penfier-Beckett fight is the focus of at- ' tention for three whole days and is discussed with more knowledge than has Bver been displayed over any other recent crisis in British history. One revolution may have gone unheeded, but the next, if it comes will not be concluded so silently.” This touch of'English conditions seems to be reflected overseas, and Mr Willoughby appears to have hit off the general situation rather (

aptly by the range of his comment. And the critic goes further, and again he illuminates a position which is to be found overseas, also, and here in our own Dominion exist conditions which are akin to those described by tho writer, for Mr Willoughby breaks a lance with the bureaucracy which grew in numbers and authority, during the war and is loth to return to pre-war conditions. Britain is saddled with a vast and expensive army of “temr pornry” Civil servants, who have come | to regard themselves as permanencies. : Thousands and thousands who originally j entered some Government office through a genuine desire to do their bit have developed a liking for the life and the emolumfents, and cling resolutely to their jobs. Orders to reduce staffs are interpreted in a conservative spirit. Tho services of subordinates are dispensed I with, but the more important the functionary the greater his tenacity. “Higher up thesrocks in less accessible places,, I with stronger connections, and oonse-

I quently higher ■salaries are the Tite Barnacles. Even those who have been there but a few years have acquire! the old instinct of contempt for the pub- - lie. Like their famous ancestor, they mention that obscure body with reluct- • ance, and think of it as their natural i enemy. They have, of course, read the i Premier’s letter on reduction of personnel. To imagine that any one of the Barnacles has taken it as a notice ■ to quit with a personal application is i totally to misunderstand the mentality of those who have had a few years’ in- ** tensive training in the art of how not to do it.” Meanwhile, the over-burden-ed taxpayer continues to foot the bill for these superfluous boards and minis- [ tries whose occupation has really gone 1 The retrenching knife will have to be • used in New Zealand as in the Old i Country, to free the taxpayer of some of his burden at least.