PRUNING WITH A VENGEANCE.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 49, 19 June 1880, Page 2

PRUNING WITH A VENGEANCE.

AccQ.RDiNG to the quidnuncs there are breakers ahead for the unfortunates, of the Civil Service, and a New Zealand Black Wednesday in prospective. According to the whinper, there are eitven thousand Civil servants — goodness knows how many uncivil ones — and itia said to be proposed to reduce, the number .12| per; cent. It is {rumored' that the Royal Commission recommends the instant dismissal- of one head of the Railway Department, on the ground of gross mismanagement and his connection with, a manufacturing company ; and also the dismissal of another " head" on the score of incompetency, Now, the two head officers of the Railway Department are Messrs. Conybb* and Lawson, and we can scarcely believe in the mismanagement of the one, or the incompeUncy of the other; ; Witli regard to the first-named gentleman, it may hot be generally known that upon the abolition, of Provincialism, Mr. CoNTEBS, • who occupied a prominent position on the Otago Railways, resigned j^l office cf bis 9WXI aocord^ aad .e^wed

into partnership with Messri. Davidson <fe Co., of th^ Otago Foundry.- Dunedin. His place was filled by a suocesspr, but in such a highly unsntisfaetory manner; that he was specially requested by the General Government to take charge of the OtagbrSouthlanc 1 at an advance of? £300 a year upon bis pre. vions salary. He accepted the offer, bTrtr in order, to do so he relinquished his interest' in the OUgo Foundry, and gave himself up wholly to the duties of his new charge. How he has executed the trust reoosed in him is a matter bound up in the history of the progress and supcpos of the working of the Government railways in the South Island. "W hcther the charge of being connected with a manufacturing can be substantiated remains to be seen ; bat it may be remembered than when a similar accusation was brought against him on a previous oooasion. his accusers were ut.tarlv confounded by the production of a written order given to the various officials by Mr. Contei?s, that under no circumstance was wort to be given to the Otaaro "Foundrv, Those who have any knowledge of the state of efficiency to which Mr. La. won had brought the working of the Canterbury Hallways before undertaking the charge of the ? T orth Island, will be slow to believe the report to his disadvantage, which, no doubt, is nothing but a ca?iard.