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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5316, 9 April 1878, Page 2

The Estimates passed last session provided for an increase of salary to several officers in the Survey Department, but nine months of the financial year have elapsed, and those entitled by the vote of Parliament have not yet received the additional pay. In several departments of the State there may be too many officers for the work to be performed, but this does not apply to the survey branch of the public service. The duties of the officers of that department have been particularly heavy of late, and considering the class of work, it was generally felt that the officials were underpaid. It is highly necessary that the various offices under the control of the Surveyor-General should be occupied by capable men, and this cannot be secured without giving adequate remuneration. New Zealand in former days was afflicted with a class of surveyors who were not even acquainted with the rudiments of the profession. Major Palmer, in his report, dwelt strongly upon the mischevious bungling which had taken place in the early surveys of the colony. . However, during the last dozen years or so matters improved immensely. In this province, for instance, Mr. Jackson in a comparatively short space of time succeeded in placing the surveys on such an accurate basis as to call forth the warm commendations of such an eminent authority as Major Palmer. The Survey Department has certainly been an improving branch of the public service ; chaos has given place to order, and this has been secured by the employment of men who thoroughly understood their work. As we have said before, to secure good professional talent liberal salaries must be paid. The work in the Survey Department cannot be entrusted to mere 1 novices or persons with limited attainments. Absolute accuracy may be unattainable, but error should be reduced to a minimum. It is a matter of surprise that there have riot been more lawsuits in this colony through the faulty surveys ; but this may be accounted for by the comparatively low value of land, and the fact that a considerable margin was left for error, whereby the actual area was larger than that represented in the Crown grants. But this rule-of-thuirib work has nowadays given place to a high degree of scientific accuracy, and the surveys made lately in New Zealand will contrast favorably with those of any other country. The services of the efficient men who wrought this desirable change were last session recognised by Parliament voting an increase to their salaries in many instances ; but although the money has been voted, the Ministry have failed to carry out the recommendations of • Parliament. The Survey Department is under the control of the Minister of Lands, and we may presume that Mr. Macandrew is the person who is actually responsible for withholding from the officers of the Survey Departrrient that to which they are lastly entitled to. • No doubt considerable discretion should be allowed - Ministers in the expenditure 1 of the public funds, but few will go so far as to admit that the Government would be justified in ignoring the' deliberate vote of Parliament in regard to the salaries to be paid to public servants. A vote of this nature starids upon a different footing to other votes. When Parliament passes an item for works in a particular locality it is generally ’understood' that i the expenditure will be contingent upon the state of the finances. If the ; Government refuse to spend the money, outside’pressure may be brought to bear.' The Press, public meetings, and the influence of the representatives of the district are,brought to bear upon, the Ministry; 1 but as for the members of the Civil Service they are: debarred- from publicly/exposing. any wrong which may be done to them. We feid sure: that in voting the increase . to" the salaries of officers in the Survey Department not a single; member of the House for a-moment imagined that the payment would be left to the discretion of the Government. Wo trust that it

may turn out that the Ministry are only dilatory in the matter, apd that there is no fixed resolve to deny the officials the increase which Parliament thought fit to make in their, salaries.