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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1244, 13 April 1880, Page 2

The Civil Service Commissioners, having concluded their "labors" in Oamaru, departed by express train to-day for Tiniaru. As was the case upon their arrival, there was no ceremony of any kiud to mark the greatness of the occasion. Tiie Commissioners and their attendant shorthand reporters, contrary to the usual custom of great men, glided away quietly and unostentatiously, leaving absolutely nothing behind theia to render their visit a thing to be remembered if pot respected nothing save the fact that two i>f ourl most respecced officials, Messrs. H an nay and Parker, had been .honored by being called upon to answer a number of questions and give information upon subjects of which, probably, not a single member of the Commission possessed the slightest knowledge. The more we sea and hear of this Commission the more firnjlv vre become convinced that, like all the other Rojal Commissions, it will prove little short of an expensive farce, originated for thepurposeofprovidingsomesolace to those friends of the present Government who were disappointed in notreceiviug portfolios in the Miuistry when Sir' George Grey and his colleagues were defeated On a

previous occasion we pointed out that little good could result from the mode adopted of eliciting information: Wee stated that it was forming ;too high an estimation of human naturd to suppose that heads of departments would give such information as would be likely to show that they had neglected" very essential portions of their duties. Anyone with a grain of common sense would at once see that no officer in charge of a department would boldly state that hia department could be worked more cheaply, that he had too many clerks or other subordinates. Such an admission would at once have shown the officer's incapacity, and we have no hesitation in asserting that no such admission has been made by any public officer that has been examined. Very few heads of departments would admit that grievances existed amongst their subordinates, and the Commission would be led to suppose that perfect peace and harmony reigned in their departments. The wrong mode of proceedure has been adopted. If the Commission is to have any beneficial effect, some efiort should haye been made to elicit Information from subordinate officers. The Commissioners might then have heard both sides of every question. Take, for example, the Telegraph Department, in which there is considerable room for ijpnrovement. Tiiere is no disguising the fact that 3, considerable amount of dissatisfaction exists amongst the officers of that deparment, and it is absurd to suppose that the public can be well served while that feeling of discontent prevails. One of the fii?t duties of the Commission should have been tp sift the matter properly with a view to a better understanding being arrived at and the service placed upon a satisfactory footing ; but nothing of the kind has been attempted. Even the officers in charge of important statiops have not been questioned, and no attempt has been made to ascertain the cause of th.e dissatisfaction amongst the operators. We suppose the Commissioners deem the statements of Messrs. Lemon and Maginnity sufficient for their purpose ; to stoop to listen to any officer not so highly placed would be undignified and unbecoming such aristocratic individuals as those who form the Civil Service Commission. One thing in connection with the visit of the Commission to Gamaru strikes tjs a? .being especially absurd. We allude to the examination of Mr, Parker, iv.M. What good purpose could bo served by such a proceeding ? Mr. Parker's is especially a small but efficient department, and comprises a clerk, an assistant clerk, and a bailiff, who have also to do duty in connection with t}je District Court and other matters. Surely the Commissioners did not imagine that they saw room for a saving hpre, unless, indeed, they were desirous of ascertaining whether or not the offices of Resident Magistrate and bailiff could be combined. Why did not the Commission examine the local Collector of Customs, whose only assistant is a clerk 1 Did they not see room for economy here ? Could not the collector also act as a policeman op as ft letter-carrier? That Inspector Thompson wa3 not pxapiined. is not a matter for astonishment, because the only possible result of such an examination would have been to show the inadequacy of the force stationed in Oaniaru, and this wou!4 not have been relished byi the Commissioners, whose only aim would appear to be to show how sufftcient savings can be effected to pay the cost of peasant trip# through the Colony for a few personal friend? of the Government. These commissions are shams and delusions, purposely originated by th.e Ministry to please a few friends and hoodwink the public.