New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, MARCH 12, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4982, 12 March 1877, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, MARCH 12, 1877.

An attempt has been made to got up a cry against the Government over a matter of departmental detail in the removal of certain surveyors from Wellington to the South Island. Amongst, the many misstatements that have been made in reference to this matter is that the alleged “ admirable arrangements ” of Mr. Surveyor Jackson for “introducing order where confusion now reigns are all being absolutely thrown to the winds because, forsooth, he does not agree with the gentleman who happens to be his superior officer.” Thus spoke the learned Mr. Travers when pleading his suit before the city electors at St. George’s Hall on Friday last. Now this is what an American would call rather “tall talk,” if it be a fact, as we are informed on good authority it is, that Mr. Surveyor Jackson himself recommended to the Surveyor-General that the surveyors now about to be removed from Wellington should be removed. This was done in writing, and can ha proved. Then the statement, by inference at all events, that Mr. Jackson has taught the Wellington' surveyors how to do their work, is not at all true or fair to the latter. There are men in his department who knew their work long before they joined the department here, and so far as practical work is concerned, have seen a good deal more of it than ever Mr. Jackson saw. The system of survey now being carried on here is no new invention of Mr. Jackson’s, or even of Major Palmer’s, as Mr. Travers almost makes out. What is being attempted to be done is to carry out a similar system to that adopted in India —a most, excellent system no doubt, but by no means an invention for which we are indebted to Major Palmer or Mr. Jackson, and which they alone can carry out. In the proposed changes the Surveyor-General is carrying out a matter of detail, and is carrying out Mr. Jackson’s written recommendations in the removal of certain gentleman now serving under the latter in Wellington. Mr. Travers also appears to forget that Major Palmer has given it as his opinion that-the surveys in Otago as well as in Wellington were suitable to the exigencies of the country, and sufficient for the purposes ,pf Land Transfer.. . The, learned gentleman also appears to forget that the Surveyor-General is a man who has had large practical experience in his profession in Indian surveys, which Mr. Jackson takes for hismodel,and in accordance with which he issue instructions ; but in trying to carry out the system difficulties arise in consequence of the configuration of the colony, which is not the same as that of India.

The inhabitants, of the province of Wellington cannot fail to remember that very large sums .of money, have been annually voted for the revision of old surveys, and for special- services connected with Mr. Jackson’s department, a large proportion of which might have been, in the opinion of competent authorities, far' more profitably expended than in the manner they have been under the control of this scientific surveyor, whose' management of the important branch of the public service under his charge is very widely believed to be demoralising to his subordinates, and by no means so perfect as Mr. Travers would have us believe. We have been informed that not very long ago Mr. Jackson was asked which of his officers he could recommend to take charge of the office during his temporary absence from Wellington, and that he replied he could not recommend any one of them. Now, for a man who has been organising a department for the past ten or twelve years, and has now, as his friends say, brought it to a high state of perfection, this ia rather a carious Statement to have made. Of the subordinate officers -in the -Wellington Survey Department, many are trained men of long standing, who had made their mark in the profession before they joined the Government staff here. There was no necessity for them to come to Wellington to learn their work ; yet, as we are told on what wo believe to be excellent authority, Mr. -Jackson says there is not one of them fit to take charge of the office for a month. There must be something radically wrong in Mr. Jackson’s department according to his own account. . .

Mr. Travers appears also not to know, or to have forgotten, that Mr. Jackson wasashort time ago a very strong supporter of Mr. Thomson in hia Otago surveys. Indeed, as it appears tb us, there can be very little doubt that the' learned gentleman who now solicits the votes of the Wellington electors, in urging on the people to support Mr. Jackson as against the Surveyor-General, made a very great mistake indeed, for the sake apparently of raising a “cry” to catch a few stray votes in a certain quarter. Mr. Travers is not a universal genius, though he knows a little of a good-many things, like Lord Brougham, of whom it was said by Lord St. Leonards • that if he had only known a little law what a clever fellow he .would have been, ■

We trust the electors of Wellington and the people generally will not be misled by the statements that have been made by Mr. Travers in reference to the Survey Department. We believe We are correct in saying that the principal Te’as'ohs for the vey Department are, in consequence of their being-- no "more’ money to spare for old surveys, which necessitated an altera--tion being effected, and that the efficiency of the public service will be augmented rather than diminished. The issue attempted to be raised on Friday evening

at St. George’s Hall in reference to the matter was altogether a false one, and will be proved to be so when thoroughly inquired into.