The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1877.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 184, 13 January 1877, Page 2

The Patea Mail. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1877.

Tjif.kk is on old phrase which tells ns that you can “ save at tin; spigot and let out at tli". bung-hole,” and that seems to ho the style of ’ economy that the present Government is pursuing. That gnnit oeonomy is necessary, fo curry on the Government ami mot Colonial liabilities, cannot ho questioned, hat Inking money out of one pocket to put into another, instead of paying it tc those to whom it is due, cannot be considered as a great saving hy the warmest supporters of the re-constructed [Ministry. Gar member, or bis subordinates, appear b> think that that is economy, however, as we can show. .For some years past past Major Turner has been Commanding Ofllccr, in this district, of the Armed Constabulary. One of the conditions attached to the ofilee was that, he should act also as jleslde.it [Magistrate, the only remuneration that bo received for Ibis service being the free occupation of a bouse and grounds. Putting ibis down at .£;"»() avear, lie could not be said to bo extravagantly paid. He bad to attend a Coart at Jlnwcra in addition, about a forty mile ride, and, altogether, well earned bis salary. Pat the powers that be decreed that ho should be one of the victims of retrenchment, and, as is generally known, lie litis received notice, in Government phrase ;£ Hint his services are no longer rerpiired,” after the .loth inst. Olliers in the service in lower rank have also received the same notification. There can be no doubt that the Armed Constabulary force may be satisfactorily reduced, that the former strength is not now wanting, but a most unfair reduction Ims been made, instead of knocking off (hose who were junior in the service, in lien of giving notice to those who bad borne the burden and boat of the day, the Government have discharged old and proved public-servants, and have regained others whose, interest is great st, whilst their worth is least. Hven allowing that this, in the usual oonrso of things, is common, how can Major Atkin-on, as Premi -r, reconcile the fact that whilst, as bead of the Government, in- was discharging Major Turner from all his ofliees. he wa- - appointing a gentleman named Lawson,

:Vr-,tn Mew Plymouth. to fill the IPsido'it M agist ratios office. 1 f rumor is cot rcct — and wo have reason to B'Hove it is—this mm 1 Pmaii lias hit My fulfill. d the duly of (TM; of the PVeP't ill Tilltl IUI !< i. I>II t isln He e| ■ viUci! to a■ i P.M. s 1 1 ij- now, aii'i is to

have ciliary; l .; of lh Pule-i district. Vv e have no doubt Mnii. In; will malm ::n cxc'dlenf, officer, his previous training having p"ob.ab|y furnished him with e\|) ‘ii'Unit will is; valuable, and aggiinst him j> Tsonally nothing Can ha said. it is only againM t!m pretence of economy made hy the (Jovcrnmont, when thev no away with an m!'iitm-r wlio.se -a-iwices cost them nothing, and inime--11 i: <t- *! \' appoint another at a high salary. This limy hav • d am, and imno ■ any complaint on tin; snbj .et is simply an act of injustice. The business of ■lm j'ntea Courts is of such an insignificant description, that a IT-sidont Magistrate might very w dl, be dispensed with, provided the fdovernnient appointed inteliieymt ami respectable men as magistrates, who would sit in turn on occasions when business was b Toro tho Council. We must say that, so far, the appointments made have been most,

satisfactory, Die gentlemen in the district at present holding Commissions of the Peace being of a class that the community have the fullest confidence in, but whether future appointments will lm equally satisfactory, judging from tho evident tjovcrninenl favoritism existing, is doubtful. He this as it, may, it would lie easy to gM a Ten P on any needed occas’ons. and if it is necessary to dispense. with the gratuitous services of Major Turner, it is not necessary to appoint some one cPe, at tho same salary, or theroalnnßs. There comes in our first proposition. Tin* tP.vernmcnfc discharge oim officer, on the ground of economy, and appoint another foitliwith. (Jan anything In more absurd, we would ask enr readers ? The excuse is economy, what, economy is that? The IVniicr has promised ns a visit, when, we pr'snnie, lie- will address his constituents. Possibly at that tiim' lie will solve Ibis apparently insoluble problem, amongst oilier matters Unit lit 1

will descant upon. To sum up all, in the first place we regret the discharge of Major Turner, a regret that will be shared, in by a majority of tho people : in tho. next, we deem tho appointment of another wholly unnecessary, for reasons above stated. Whether it will b ; persevered in remains to be seen, but if it is, (hern cannot really be any of tho professed economy in the changes, but oilier motives must have influenced the Ministry, ,