THE Manawatu Times. WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1879. A MOST UNFAIR PROCEEDING.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 59, 23 July 1879, Page 2

THE Manawatu Times.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1879. A MOST UNFAIR PROCEEDING.

" Words aro things, and a drop of ink falling liko dew upon a thought, produces tb«t -whioh makes thou*pJ6, perbaps millions think."

Trra present —we were about to write the late— Ministry have the happy knack of doing the most unfair things possible. .This has made itself apparent m every step of its tortuous course, from the first hour m which the administration of public affairs was placed m its hands until the eve of its dissolution. Its monstrous corruption over the government advertising we have again and again denounced' m no measured terms ; the manner m which the official vacancies /have been filled has been the theme of general comiheht; but it remained for its general dissolution to be heralded by a course not only grossly unjust and unfair but m direct contradiction to the rules of the Civil Service. We allude to the recent appointments m the Armed Constabulary. One of the fundamental rules; of the service is that promotions should be made from the ranks, and unless where there are extraordinary claims to warrant a contrary course, advances shall Abe made step by step. The wisdom of such ."a mode of procedure must make itself apparent at a glance, as by the inducement thus held out, men of birth, of intelligence, and of education offer their services m the hope that merit and good conduct will be their passport toAprbmotioni! This system lias not only been- recognised, but acted upon m the past, and the consequence is, that .the , officers of that branch of the service have hitherto >' borne; a high: character for worth and efficiency. They had to serve a long and arduous apprenticeship, to go through a refining process, and 'fight for and ohegrade of rank after another. To the Colonial Secretary, Colonel Whitwtoiit.,* must attach the odium of having created a most uncalled for revolution m the existing order of things, a flagrant ignoring of the recognised rul^s of the service, and a gross, breach of faith with the present members of the . Armed Constabulary. .As is well known, Colonel Whitmoke has been, a soldier, and the Gazette of the 17th July is a. convincing proof that -A the gallant -Minister has a tender care for the fortunes of his brothers m arms to the exclusion of the iinfortunate subordinates who have the misfortune to be committed to his charge. According to a Taranaki exchange Constable Grttbb, formerly an adjutant m her Majesty's service, has been promoted to the vapk of Sub-Inspector. There is no intimation why the aristocratic chrysalis constable, with the unartstocratic name, should have blossomed into! the sub-inspector, and consequently m the absence of other proof, j it 'must be accredited to the fact that he at one time held a commission "m her Majesty's service. If blue blood and gentle birth were the only qualifications necessary to fit a man for a command m ihe. Constabulary, the fact of his high antecedents shouldAentitle Grubb—^in spite of his, plebeian cognomen—^to the position; but setting aside altogether the>injustiee of giving .vacancies to strangers which have been fairly, earned by subordinates m the Force, the efficiency of the service requires that its officers should have some training. With regard to the second reason— and it must he admitted it is a cogent one— such an innovation J as that made. by. tlie Colonial Secretary is sufficient to disgust the members of the Force. Take for instance the gentleman who has charge of this ; district. Sub-Inspec-tor (xOQt> \xtA has not otilv devoted sotne of the best years of his life m the service, but has won his way up to his present position by length of yej|T| and strength of merit, and it mugtbe narticularly galling to him, md many others, to see warm little neste prepared for those sprigs of a^d. pQsitlQng giveii QYQV

the heads of those meriting them, and to which they were fairly entitled to aspire. The case of Adjutant - Constable - Sub-Inspector Grur'b is by no means an isolated one, for the very number of the G-azette to which we have referred contains a goodly list of other aristocratic scions who have been taken under the ministerial wing, captains and majors changing into inspectors and acting-inspectors with the ease and celerity not of "the magician's wand but of the minister's pon. There is one consolation, however, and that is, that the very audacity of the innovation is the very surest proof that m setting at defiance all justice and precedent, the Colonial Secretary has become convinced that his power will soon pass away, and he has made his last effort to benefit his private friends.