THE GOVERNMENT STROKE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 331, 25 January 1909, Page 4

THE GOVERNMENT STROKE.

SOME CHRISTCHUIICH OPINIONS. EASY-GOING STATE OF AFFAIRS ALLEGED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, January 21. " I look upon the Addington workshops largely in the light of a warm-ing-bed or a convalescent home for scores of men who are able to bring their political influence to bear," said a Christchurch gentleman interested in the engineering trade to a Press reprcscntativ to-day. Ilia opinion was shared by several others. All agree that the country was not getting value for the money it cost to run and maintain, not only the shops at Addington, but those in other parts of the Dominion. It was contended that work cost from 15 to 30 .per cent, more to turn out under present conditions at Addington than would be the case if private firms Mere to undertake similar tasks. Further than that, complaint was made that although these expensive Establishments were owned by the people, and were supposed to be run for the people, there was no means of ascertaining the relation between the value ami the eosl of the output. One gentleman stated that for the most part the plant at Addington was much behind the times; tiiat it was probably up to date twenty years ago, but little attempt had since been made to insln] the newest labour-saving devices, which were especially numerous and effective nowadays. Another expert declared that the plant had been kept fairly up to date, but that most of the discarded and unused appliances were still taking up floor space, no attempt being made, as would be the case with a private individual or lirni, to get rid of the incubus of old machinery and turn it into money.

Says the Wellington Times:—The General Manager of Railways has been placed in a very invidious position by the publication of his ill-advised circular to the ollieer in charge of the Addington workshops, and that ofliciu] has certainly shown himself indiscreet in his manner of dealing with the document. If those workshops had been showing poor results as the effect of a, tendency towards the " Government stroke," it rested with the heads of the department to (have taken .businesslike and effective measures to counteract the evil, but nothing could have bepn less fair or more calculated to defeat this object than to obtain the services of some outsider to spy upon the men, and then on the strength of his uncorroborated evidence to issue a circular of the character described. The records of the department should have beeu so complete as to enable its .responsible officers to see at a glance where weaknesses existed, and when these were demonstrated the officers responsible should have been called upon for an 'explanation. The alter : native adopted, besides being utterly unbusinesslike, was lacking in ordinary common-sense. Jt displayed lamentable weakness at headquarters. Now that the matter has been made public an open and full inquiry is requisite. Jt should be preferably a departmental inquiry, open to the press. We observe that the Press Association, which is supposed to hold aloof from controversy, has been astutely utilised to convey the impression that' the Government stroke obtains not only at Addington but also at all other Government workshops, and that " political influence is claimed to be at the bottom of the whole .problem." This is most unfair. It introduces an irritating side-issue, which is likely, if care is not iaken, to obscure the main charges. No sane person will believe mat any Minister or politician would connive at or condone dishonesty in the public service, or that they would attempt to shield offenders or persons so charged. There 1 in, of course, a danger of taking th'Ji incident too seriously; but in our opinio u it is not the Addington labourers) who are on trial before the bar of, public opinion in this matter so much as tin? General Manager of Railways and his responsible officers. If there has been misconduct in the workshops they are responsible? if there has been no misconduct, the author of the circular is obviously unworthy of his position. In any case, the document itself has no merit. H-owever read it is an indictment, not against the men against whom it is aimed, but against the system and the ofiicials responsible for the system.