The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1878.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 67, 1 June 1878, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, JUNE 1, 1878.

It ia a very prevalent but erroneous idea that the State is a good- paymaster, and that those who are fortunate enough to be taken under the paternal wing of the Government, are to be indeed envied. Although the rule may stand good m some cases— to wit, those whose lines have been cast iv pleasant places, and who rauk as the heads of departments — m the majority it will be" found that the very reverse is the fact. In addition to this, it will surprise a great many to hear thata very large dis. parity exists m the rate of remuneration for duties exactly similar, according tp the locality m which an officer may be placed. To illustrate what we mean, we will take the Railway Department, and, with the view or comparison, take some statistics furnished by the Appropriations for the General Government Services, for the year ending 30th June, 1878. Turning to the Auckland Seotion, we find that there are three station masters, or clerks, at £150 per year, three at £125, four at £110, and five at £100; while the engine-drivers get 12s, per day, and the firemen Bs. On the Napier Section there are nine station clerks, two of whom receive £150, four are m receipt of £tlo, and the remaining get but £100. Coming to the Wellington Section, there are only three clerks, two of whom are paid £125, and the third £110. The station-masters on the Foxton line are set down as three, andr consequently, we presume the document was printed before the opening of the Halcombe Station. As this section is the one with which we are more immediately conoerned, we will enter somewhat minutely into the rate of remuneration received by the various employes. We find that the three station-masters are m receipt of £110 per year; one guard, at £2 10s per week ; five porters, at £2 2s per week; and one tioketcollector, at £2 ss. 6d! It is also shown that the laboring men em ployed as plate-layers and cleaners receive 7s. per day, or £2 2s per week, while t"ie dvivors are paid lis,, and the firemen Bs. per day. Going further up the line, and reaching the Wanganui Section, matters are even worse, for although, with regard to drivers, firemen, and porters, the rate of wages is the stune, tlie

station-masters receive £10 less, or at the rate of £100 per year. On the Picton, Nelson, Westport, and Greymouth Seotions the salaries of all the officials are greatly m excess of those paid on the Foxton-Wanga-nui line ; but before proceeding to draw a comparison between the wages paid on the Canterbury and Otago lines, we wish to make a few remarks on the absurd manner m which the remuneration to the various officers mentioned above has been distributed. It is stated the porters, platelayers, and cleaners are m receipt of £2 2s. per week, while some of the station-masters receive £110 per year—others even less— or a sum equal to £2 -2s. 2d. per week. Of course, we are aware the latter are allowed a house rent free, but, we ask, is that an equivalent for the difference which should exist between his pay and that of an ordinary laborer ? We have said ordinary, but we question if we are jußtifiedsMn using the expression, inasmuch as the cv r rent grates for ordinary laborers is two shillings a day m excess of that sum. We do! not for a moment wish to insinuate that the salaries paid to the porters and platelayers are too high; far from it, but we wish to say that the remuneration allotted to stationmasters and guards is ridiculously small. It is generally presumed that, to hold the position of stationmaster, a nian must be possessed of a fair amount of education, and it is a mistaken idea td imagine that his official duties extend no further than to the mere issuing of tickets, and overseeing the arrival and departure of the various trains. On the contrary, he is burdened with a certaitf amount of red-tape and routine clerical business which serves admirably to keep his time employed. But even if suoh were not tjie case, and were time to hang heavily upon his hands^ ifj. .would be as much as' his plac& would be worth to attempt to supplement his miserable pittance by outside Work. Let us take : a glance at the duty performed and the hours occupied,' m compensation for which this princely stipend is paid, and m. so doing vwe i will commence with Jhe station clerk at Foxton. 7, TJrider Ate new, regime, that favoured individual hai to be m his office : at five - in = the morning^ and although he may occasionally be at liberty for some portions of the day, strictly speaking he is on duty from that time until the arrival of the night train, for i t would be dangerous to be very far from his post, aud he must always be withiu call. If he be particularly fortunate, aad the train arrives i at 10:10, half an hour later li c; is^ f ree, and fervently -ret it rning thanks, he retires after seventeen hours and half's attendance. So far, that has been the exception^ the rule bei}ng that his labors had another .bourns duration: Add up the number of hours which he has to work during the six days, and divide it by the salary he receives, and lMi a will ibe foutid that the remuneration will not reach five-pence per hbur^ Then take the hours and duty of the guard, who has not-only the same number of hours, but, besides an : amount of onero ua responsibility m the matter of taking . and merchandise at the various, stations, and is exposed to all kinds of weather, for which he receives '.'Bs. 4d, per clay. TFuder these circiimstances, 'then, we ask, bow can 'IherGovernment.o^the public expect that > their t^servants will perform their duties efficiently, and can they grumble if the old, but rather inelegantj epithet of " cheap and nasty "be not only applied, but exemplified? We not not mean to say that the officials are incapable of performing their duties efficiently ; qu'te the r.eyerse;but as it would be folly m a purchaser to expect to receive both quantity and quality while paying the lowest rate, so it may :be expected that if officials have to work for two days at the price for one, very little attention will be paid to the matter of quality. We have always been an advocate for making all officials stringently perform theirSluties, but we hold m abhorrence that grinding slavery which seems to reign m the administration of most .of the Departments m the North slslarid.Our idea is, to have good, efficient, capable/and thoroughly reliable men ; make them perform their duties to the letter, and visit every act of neglect or carelessness-; with a fitting pumshraenti To be able to do that, itis necessary that sufficient inducemeiit be held out that; men of the very best stamp will enter the public ; service; confident that ability, energy, and attention will be followed [by prdipbtion. Weed out the drones and -barnaclis, retai ii those who can aud will db their work, and; make the recompense for their labor of such a character as will be an incentive for renewed vigo r. In the past, the Civil Service has been but a /nursery for the sucklings of patronage, 1 a«iil. the men who did tne least workTirew tHe highest salaries. In the Colonies the State is: made the foster-father for aristocratic noddles, just as the -'Church,, is .'at Home. Here when it is found that a youngster is .unfitted to take nis start m: the race pf life, interest is brought to bear, and all further trouble is obviated by suitable protjetion under the Govt'rnmental wing. There is so much to tw giud, huweverj pn t&e matter,

that we must reserve further remarks for another issue.