THE EXECUTIVE, THE SUPERINTENDENT, AND THE CLERK.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 277, 23 November 1874, Page 2

THE EXECUTIVE, THE SUPERINTENDENT, AND THE CLERK.

The following comments upon the recent conduct of the Executive in dismissing the clerk to the Superintendent . are from the West Coast papers : — {Grey River Argus). " The utter uuacrupulousneas of the Nelson Executive —or rather of its head, Mr O'Coaor — in their dealings with public aervante, has received another illustration in the case of Mr Hodgson who, haviog honorably and efficiently filled the position of clerk to the Superintendent for fourteen years, has been dismissed under circumstances that reflect disgrace upon the Provincial Government. It will {For continuation see fourth page)

ta remembered tbat in tbe action— KnyTett versus O'Conor, Mr Hodgson wai subposnaed to give evidence, and it was mainly upon tbat.evidence that Mr O'Conor was proved to have aoted illegally and improperly. Within a few days of tbis affair it was reported thai Mr Hodgson, for his inoonvenient truthfulness, was to be punished by removal from tbe office be held, bat Mr O'Conor'i organs contradicted this. We have oow before as tbe whole correspondence that passed between Mr Hodgson and tbe Provincial Secretary, and a perusal of it shows tbat a more shameful abase of power, and more glaring tyranny was never before perpetrated by any political head of a department." Having given a summary of tbe charges our contemporary says : —"A more sweeping bill of indictment tionld not possibly have been preferred against aoy public servant, and if its allegations could be supported dismissal from office coald not be balf sufficient punishment. But Mr Hodgson denies them in toto, and his reply is worth quoting,in fall." (fee follows Mr Hodgson's defence.) •' This letter was answered by a most insulting reply, in which the charges were reiterated in a most offensive manner, bat an offer was made to refer tbe whole question to Captain Rough, tbe Deputy-Superin-tendent. Mr Hodgson agreed to this, but was afterwards refused even tbis small mddicum of jußtice, and ultimately bis services were dispensed with. Bat what the Superintendent thought of the business will be evident from the following letter wbioh he addressed to Mr Hodgson." Having published Mr Curtis' letter, tbe Argus goes on to say: —" We have come across, some queer instances of official, tyranoy in our time, but we never heard of anything approaching to Mr O'Conor's action in this case. If the Provincial Council has the slightest respect for itself, it will take tbe earliest possible opportunity of making a repetition of such conduct impossible."