Untitled

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5009, 13 April 1877, Page 2

In- our issue of Wednesday, under the heading " Items by the Mail," appeared a paragraph stating that two junior clerkships in the Colonial Office in London, each of the value of £250 per annum, were open to public competition. These and similar appointments, we are in-

formed, are intended to attract University men,' and will increase annually up to £6OO. Moreover, the, highest appointments in the department will be specially open to the fortunate individuals selected on this and similar occasions. This announcement forcibly draws our attention to the, faciei iio.w ...much ...better .these things are managed at Home than in these colonies.' r 'ln the; sold country almost every" Government clerkship is now opeil'to public Competition, and the successful candidates hold their places by merit and not by favor. Here, as we all know,it is impossible to set a Government billet without a friend, at court. Thereare doubtless 1 some able men in the public service here,.but that such is the case is certainly not the result of the system, but exists in spite of it. To have as few servants as possible, to pay them well, and to throw open every appointment, is evidently the right way to attract the best men in the country to enter the public service. This is proved by what is taking place in England at the present day. Men who have obtained good degrees at the Universities, instead of taking Orders or going to the Bar, are entering the Civil Service either at Home or in India, in which latter case there are some splendid prizes to be obtained. So it may be said there are in the Church and at the Bar, but in the first case few men get, preferment without interest; in the second, interest and talent also are required in order to succeed ; and in both, j ; a good many years usually elapse before a decent income is obtained. In the Civil Service a stipend ' sufficient 'for all moderate wants is at once secured, and it is a calling in which there can be no blanks, as there are in the law, where many are " called" but few are chosen ; in physic, where a considerable percentage of its disciples ! get no patients; or divinity, where many a clever man starves on a salary much less ,than the wages of a skilled mechanic. For many reasons, therefore, the Civil Service is looked forward to as presenting. an leligible opening for young men of education and ability, and nowadays no one need ask a favor of any one to enter. ! It is open to the son of the peasant as well •as to the son of a Peer, character and ability being, happily, the only qualifications required. . , ; . ' We cannot help, thinking, that if the New Zealand Government would follow ithe example of the mother country in this particular the public service would be benefited. /At.present it cannot be said that there are too many callings open to.[the youth of |the" colony. It seems to us a very laudable ambition for Itke sons of some of our colonists who themselves at school, and afterwards, perhaps, at an University, to' ;return hereand compete for Government 'appointments. At present no such career is open to them. They can only enter the public service through, friends who have interest with the powers that be. 'A man who can influence votes in Parliament we imagine would not have much 'difficulty in getting a comfortable berth for his son ; but to the great mass of the jpeople the door is closed. We believe ithat the Atkinson' Ministry are endeavoring to' carry out their pledges as to imaking reductions' in certain depart'ments, and are also desirous that the ;public service, should be as efficient as possible ;• but under the present, system a Minister's hands are tied, as he cannot very well afford to lose votes,: and- pressure can be brought to bear in this matter when any appointment is vacant. We cordially endorse the doctrine that the taking away the patronage would be a relief to the Ministers and a benefit to the country: