The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, MARCH 11, 1878.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5291, 11 March 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, MARCH 11, 1878.

When expectant Ministers are in opposition there is always a great cry amongst them for retrenchment in the Civil Service. ■ However, when they gain a position on the Treasury benches, the subject is invariably shelved by the Government,' and retrenchment is again left, to; be the watchword of her Majesty’s : Opposition. Thus Ministry follows-Mi-nistry, and the much-required reform seems as far off as ever. When Sir George Grey was in the ‘ ‘ cold shade of Opposition ” the House was treated to lengthy harangues on the enormous dimensions of the Civil Service, and the extent to which it could be curtailed were honest and .capable men in the Government. The huge ‘ structure oh the reclaimed land was .'pointed out as! a place which had been erected almost solely with the object of affording accommodation ,for,, the friends,. of Ministers 1 who'desired to live at the expense of the country. And it that “ unsightly building” were twice as large, : said’several gentlemen of the then Opposition, a corrupt Government would fill it with incapables. The remark that the same men in opposition are different mortals when

on Treasury benches, .is true of the pre-' sent Ministry. Still, for a short time after assuming office, Sir George Grey. assured the House that if he were allowed time he would be able to effect a large saving in the Civil Service, and that when Parliament met next session members would find that a reform had taken place by which the _ country would be saved the useless .expenditure of a hundred thousand or so a year. Parliament will sit again in three or four months, and as yet there are no signs of an honest attempt to grapple with the subject of Civil Service reform. 1 1 Instead of the Premier mastering those details which would be necessary before dealing with such a large question',' he has been making a stumping tour through the country, and tickling the ears of the multitudes with platitudes about the rights of man, and warning them solemnly that there was a danger of their children growing up in slavery. The progress which has marked the history 'of the British race was to be arrested ini New Zealand, and an Eastern despotism would take the place of that broad and: well-ordered freedom which has been the heritage-of Englishmen. Gaping crowds have listened and admired when the Premier of the colony told them that certain. statesmen of the mother country were forging chains to bind them and their children,! and that if any leading man in the colony protested p.gainst it he was to be got put: of the way by poison. And all the time; the Premier is talking this insane non-' sense, the business of the country is : neglected. When administrators play the, part of agitators there is hollowness in; their professions. Sir George Grey is in the place where he can best carry out; his ideas as to government. Already the Ministerial organs are crying out that the Government are neglecting the preparation of those measures which are to confer upon the people that priceless gem of liberty of which themselves and their fathers have lived in entire ignorance. However, it is not with the proposed measures for manhood suffrage, triennial Parliaments, &c., that we are at present dealing. .The Ministry have promised reform in the Civil Service, and everyone knows that no such reform can take place without Ministers gaining a full knowledge of every department of | the State. Throughout the Premier’s stumping tour he has barely alluded to this subject. The saving of a hundred thousand a year wouldbeatangiblegood to the people of the colony ; but Sir George appears to have dropped this plankof his political platform. To make reductions in the Civil Service, without impairing its efficiency, would require a knowledge of the subject which .could only be gained by sheer hard work, and would entail not a little unpopularity. As long as the people of the colony are content with flights of oratory, disserta-; tions on their imaginary grievances and the tyranny they groan under, no pruning: knife will be applied to the Civil Service, There never was a time in ,the brief history of this colony, when, a better opportunity occurred for making , reductions. When . Sir George Grey was in opposition, he was constantly crying out about 7 ) billets being created for the friends of Ministers.' The accusation had been repeated so frequently, that people believed that there was some truth in it, and when Sir George Grey got into power many naturally believed that useless offices would be abolished, and we believe’ the country would have backed up the Ministry in any measure of reform in this direction. •The Austra-, liari colonies, as well as New Zealand, appear to be afflicted with an overgrown Civil Service. 'ln Victoria this has, been brought out prominently by thepresent crisis.. Owing to the Appropriation Bill being thrown out by the Council in that colony, the Government have dismissed a large number of civil servants. We are informed by a Melbourne contemporary that the result has been that in several departments-the work since the dismissals has been carried on more efficiently, land that the eyes of Ministers have been opened to the gross wasteof public money which had annually taken place by keeping two or three men in the service of the State to do the work of one. It is also stated that people who have to transact business with civil servants there are now treated with courtesy. However; it must be said that the officials in New Zealand, as a rule, show civility to persons having business at any of the Government offices. They are not so well paid as their Victorian brethren, and perhaps cannot afford to treat the public with discourtesy. The Berry Ministry have intimated that many of the dismissals will bo permanent. It would seem as if the Queensland Government had profited by what is now taking place in Victoria. The Minister of Works in that colony recently: visited the Gympic goldfields, and as Queenslanders , are like other people, of course the Minister was besieged by deputations, . asking for expenditure of public money. Amongst the things asked for was the appointment of an inspector of mines. Sir; Miles, the Minister interviewed, in reply stated that he could assure the deputation that in his department he could fairly dismiss, one-third of the present staff, and have the work done better. The fact was that the Civil Service was; being increased so fast that they had to extend their public buildings every year to give them accommodation —“.not to enable 1 them to do the work, but to while away the ■ time. ” It. is no wonder, after such an expression of opinion from a Minister of the Crown, that the Press of Queensland urge upon the Government the necessity of remedying such a serious evil. It is proposed to introduce a Bill abolishing Ministerial patronage. That such a measure would confer incalculable good upon the people of New Zealand we have little doubt, and we trust that beforh long the law will debar Ministers from rewarding their supporters at the expense of the country, as was contemplated the other day in the case of Mr. Bunny.