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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 301, 4 December 1884, Page 2

As I informed you several days ago, writes the Lyttelton Times correspondent, very extensive reductions are to be made in the Civil Service. At present it has been decided to dispense with the services of seven clerks in the Treasury Department. The Lands and Mines Department will be almost entirely swept away, so far as being a separate department is concerned, for of course there must always be a Lands and Mines Department so long as we have Crown lands and goldfields ; but in this department there is to be a sweep of over 60 officials, and the chief surveyors of districts will, it is suggested, take over the duties now performed by the commissioners of Crown lands and their clerks. ? I can’t say that this is absolutely settled, but I'believe it may be taken as settled from January Ist next. Another department is also to be shorn of some of its flowers, and some of our country’s br-tve defenders will be asked to turn their swords into ploughshares, and follow the avocations of peace; in other words 50 members of the Armed Constabulary force have been notified that their services will be dispensed with at the end of the present month. The men who have thus received notice are. stationed principally in the Opunake and Kawhia districts. This does not look as though the Native Minister anticipated much trouble either in the neighborhood of Parihaka or in the King country. Thus over a hundred men will have been discharged from Government employ by the end of the year, and this does not ; include changes and reductions which may yet be made in other departments. The whole question of Civil Service reform and reorganisation is under the consideration of the Government, and the dismissal list is by no means yet complete. There is a general move round in the Telegraph and Postal Departments, but it is understood there will be no dismissals or reduc.ions in' these already overworked departments, and that, on the other hand, cadets will shortly be taken on to assist in the now severely-taxed operating staffs of the chief offices. Those who remain in the service will have to perform an extra half-hour’s duty per day, the hours in all departments having been extended to half-past 4 o'clock. Clerks have themselves to thank for this. At present duty is over at 4 o’clock, and the chimes have hardly finished ringing the hour when the great procession begins. Ministers argue that it must necessarily take some time to make ready for such punctual departure, and the extra half-hour has been thus allowed for that preparation.