South Canterbury Times. TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2610, 2 August 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1881.

It is a common saying that it is well that people do not know what they are eating. It is probably for the peace of mind of the mass of the taxpayers of New Zealand that they know not what they are paying. Many of them are but dimly aware that there is already a pension list in this new country, and that the sum annually paid to retired Civil Servants amounts to a considerable item. A discussion on the subject recently took place in the House of Eepresentatives, and the disclosures then made, to use a rather vulgar term, were “regular eye-openers.” Mr Saunders, the member for Cheviot, is one of the most out-spoken members in the House, although it must be said that his voice is invariably more independent than his vote. On the matter of the pensions bis speech threw a great deal of light on the hitherto darkest recesses of the most iniquitous of the Public Plunder Departments, Mr Saunders is one of the oldest politicians in the colony. He has kept a diary, wherein he has noted, amongst other things, the little tricks of certain individuals to secure -pensions on retiring from the Civil Service. Mr Saunders is, therefore, well qualified to speak on the subject. At the outset it may be stated that the discussion referred to arose on the legality or otherwise of Dr Pollen’s pension. But in our opinion, whether legal or illegal, the pension list of the colony shows that there has been systematic robbery. The whole thing was managed by the upper class of Civil Servants. Mr Saunders told the House that when the Ministry of the day was in doubt as to the legality of granting any particular pension, the matter was referred to a Civil Servant, and if an adverse answer was. received they bad only to refer to ano.ther officer to receive a favorable reply. The whole thing was conducted between the Government and the Civil Servants “ without anyone on the other hand representing the interests of the colony.” It has frequently been said that Ministers are often the tools of Under-Secre-taries. On the question of pensions such has been invariably the case. To show the wrong which has been inflicted on the people of the colony by the pensioning system, we uill take one instance —that of no less a person than Sir William Fitzherbert, the present Speaker of the Legislative Council. Mr Saunders, in relating the circumstances, said they should afford much amusement ; but it is amusement of a kind which the colony has to pay for very dearly. From Mr Saunders’ statement it appears that Mr Fitzherbert went to England on leave of

absence. After staying in England for twelve months on full pay, and having his travelling expenses and all those things very comfortably allowed him, and knowing that the Act did not allow the Government to extend his leave of absence beyond twelve months, he sent in his resignation. What must people think of a system which allowed not only full pay, but paid the travelling expenses of a plea-sure-trip,extending over twelve months? The thing would be incredible if it were not in the public records. Sir William Fitzherbert has often been a thorn in the side of Ministers, and no doubt their generosity was with the object of keeping him out of the way. The Ministry did not accept his resignation, and continued to pay him his full salary for another twelve months. In 18G9 Sir William Fitzherbert came back, and without qualification or reservation resigned. Mr Saunders does not give the reason of the resignation. To elucidate matters it may be as well to state that the Superintendeney of Wellington was vacant, and Sir Win. (then Mr) Fitzherbert was safe for the position. • When he left the public service, it was discovered that he was not sixty years old, and consequently he was not entitled to a pension. “ Well,” Mr Saunders says, “ all sorts of arrangements were concontrived to make him sixty years old ; and ultimately the Hon. Win. Fitzberbert, and Mr Gisborne proved quite equal to the occasion,” The thing was easily enough managed. Mr Fitzherbert’s resignation had been accepted on Nov. 17, 18G9, but it was decreed that his resignation was not to take effect until July 15, 1870, when it was fondly hoped .that he would be found to bo sixty years of age. Well might Mr Saunders indignantly ask, “ Now, Sir, what name should we give this arrangement if it were from a private Company and not the Government this pension was to be obtained ? And who was representing the poor taxpayers of New Zealand in this transaction between the Colonial Secretary and the eager claimant of a pension ?” By the 2nd of December, it appears that Sir Win. Fitzherbert bad become aware of the date of his birth, and he wrote to his friend the Hon. Mr Gisborne:—“The date of my baptismal register is August 15, 1810. I am at least, therefore, well advanced in my sixtieth year, which I submit meets the requirements of the Act.” The question was submitted to the then Attorney-General (now Chief Justice Prendergast), and he gave the following sensible legal opinion : I ara of opinion that in order to attain the age of sixty years a person must live sixty years, it cannot be said than an infant at the instant of its birth has attained the age of one year, and similarly it cannot he said that the instant a person has lived fifty-nine years he has attained the age of sixty years.

Yet in despite of that clearly-ex-pressed opinion, Sir Win. Fitzherbert obtained bis pension. lie bad a strong friend in the person of the Colonial Secretary, Mr Gisborne, who himself afterwards obtained a pension in an equally discreditable manner. These two gentlemen whilst serving the Crown fattened on the wages of office. They were more than amply compensated for their services during the term'of their public employment, and yet the colony has for the past ten years been called upon to pay Mr Gisborne £4OO and Sir Win. Fitzherbert £025 annually. The following are the names of a few gentleman who are receiving pensions, with their yearly allowance and the amount paid up to date :

Pension. Amount Paid. W. Swainson £400 .. £9388 W. Young 330 .. 5075 R. F. Porter 352 .. 5286 F. Oath waite 339 .. 5090 A. Domett 5G0 .. 5222 H. S. Chapman ... 758 .. 4312 R.- Chapman 25G ... 4863 Sir G. A. Arney... 850 .. 4250 Sir W. Fitzherbert 325 ... 3412 G. E. Elliott 400 ... 3233 H. B. Grcsson ... 750 ... 4312 A. 0. Strode 531 ... 4214 R, Parris 314 ... 4400 D. Rough 277 ... 3371 W. B. White ... 375 ... 3430 W. N. Searancke... 204 ... 2866 W. Gisborne 46G ... 2022 Daniel Pollen 419 ... 1762