PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY. Wednesday, September 14, 1881.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 977, 14 September 1881, Page 2

PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY. Wednesday, September 14, 1881.

As the Government have recently brought the attention of the Colony to the subject of its Life Assurance Policy, by the publication of the English Actuaries’ Reports, and Mr. Commissioner Luckie’s Annual Report on his Department, the public mind is somewhat exercised over the matter of certain scandals which have been in circulation for some time in regard to the incompetency of a few upper officials in connection with them. It will be remembered that—although the Colonial Government Actuary was sent to England some time ago to complete, if not to begin Tiis education in that line, so as to fit him for the post, and at the public expense—when the Parliament wanted information of an important and particular nature, so as to satisfy policy holders, no one -was found competent to undertake the task ; consequently, a complete statement of policies had to be sent Home, ©n whieh might be based a guidance as to how to proceed with regard to accrued bonus additions. That reply reached the Government about three week* ago, which fact, taken in conjunction with sundry envied appoint-

ments, dismissals, and disagreement# in the Insurance Department' itself,’ has brought- about Certain charges which will, possibly, soon be openly made. With a yiqw .to,jwiden the breach of public opinion against the Department, Mr. McDonogh, who has recently left the service, called a meeting of policyholders in Wellington, ostensibly, for the purpose of considering the advisability of asking the Government to appoint a Board of Inquiry as to working of the Insurance Department, but, according to certain expressions made use of at the meeting, really to afford Mr. McDonogh an opportunity to air his particular grievance. We do not say that this is so ; but that gentleman was taunted considerably with the suspicion, and the impression was left that if anyone but Mr. McDonogh had moved in the matter, the result would have been very different. Mr. McDonogh is known to have been one of the most efficient officers in the department, and probably ready to step into Mr. Luckie’s shoes if the latter’s incompetency could be so established as to compass his compulsory retirement. Nevertheless, we confess to a large disagreement with Mr. McDonogh on the want of judgment and tact, displayed. A Government officer who has gone through the mill of departmental work, ought to know that anything short of. a criminal dharge against a superior, is, of all things, difficult, nay, almost impossible to sustain. Mr. McDonogh’s object was to obtain a Board of Inquiry, of which he would, probably, be one, or called as a witness; and to make himself the greater saint, and Mr. Luckie the greater sinner ; during which operation the necessity, or cause, for his own dismissal would have been thoroughly investigated. Has Mr. McDonogh no experience—no remembrance of other departmental autocrats than Mr. Luckie ? Has he forgotten the past and present iron rule, amounting almost- to irresponsibility, of Dr. Lemon ? The imperative dismissal of a large number of telegraphists, and the subsequent hounding of them to the ends of the earth to prevent them obtaining an honest living elsewhere ? Perhaps Mr. McDonogh is not a mean man, and does what is required of him openly ; but he made a mistake. It is for him yet to learn that it is simply a moral and physical impossibility even to remain in the public service, and not be mean ; but to fight one’s way back into the service, one must become the very meanest and most contemptible of all human skunks. ButjVyA/my is not of the question ; and that is just what Mr. McDonogh has done. Had he crawled, and pulled the strings from behind someone else’s back; had he used his pawns more and his knights less, a possible check might have rewarded him; as it is he is in the unenviable position of having a grievance and not knowing how to air it. But the public are indebted to Mr. McDonogh. notwithstanding. He has set the ball rolling, and the Government must yield to the force from without. The Assurance Office has been in existence for ten years. It has contracted enormous liabilities for which the Colony is responsible, and its expensive officials know not how to make a division of profits. Although we do not think Mr. McDonogh was felicitous in the choice of his opportunity to make damaging statements against a- department in which he has, until lately, held an important post, we think what he has said requires consideration ; and the definite charges he has made demand immediate investigation. Amongst other things Mr. McDonogh said :—

He could bring one case of maladministration of the department before the meeting, and that was the case of a man residing in Dunedin, he was examined by Dr. Alexander, who declined to pass him, he being at the time suffering from consumption, and yet the man he referred to came to Wellington, where he found no difficulty in being passed by Dr. Johnston, and he insured his life for £lOOO. Then, again, some 18 months since, he (Mr. Donogh) insured the life of a gentleman named Mackay for 30 years, so that he would be able to draw out at the age of 62. Some time afterwards, Mr. Mackay informed him that, on account of his “ family history,” the Government had “ clapped on ’’ another seven years on I is life ; yet, sometime before this, Mr. Mackay’s brother’s life had been taken without any handicap. He telegraphed down to the Aciuary on the subject, and a reply was returned that the Actuary had made a mistake in the computation. What confidence, he would ask, could they l ave in an institution which made a mistake of this kind ! Another instance of incompetency was that of a gentleman who was a good “ life,” but who was rejected by the department, and yet who sometime afterwards was accepted by the department on less favorable terms to the department than those under the first propsition. Another case was that of a gentleman who applied for his surrender value, and who was rsfused by the department, yet he subsequently

. obtained it upon his threatening to place the correspondence, upon the subject in the Frees. The Government Assurance had lost 25 per cent, upon the business during the last six months, and he believed that the. department - w / 8 losing business. There was the case .or another man* since dead, who, thWtime, was dying by inches, who was sent) to Dunedin as an agent of the depar|m«nt<rwho, owing to his illness, lost £IOO,ObO in podibiee .in six months. This man was appointed, the recommendations of two-Under- . Secretaries by the Colonial Treasurer; TheW ftnd numberless other cases he could cite, showing the incompetency of the department and the necessity there existed for a Commission of. Inquiry. The meeting separated without passing a resolution, although two or three were proposed.