APPOINTMENTS BY BALLOT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 89, 31 August 1912, Page 4

APPOINTMENTS BY BALLOT.

J If the Massey Administration especially I prides itself upon anything it is upon the fact that it is a "Business Government" /(says the Lytteltoii,Times). It insists 'upon efficiency in every depart- : ment of the public service, and talks i largely-of "promotion by merit, not by . i influence." The brigut; energetic, brainy , | young lnan, we have been given to understand, will And the path to promotion i made easy for him tinder the Reform regime, and, above all, there is to be no suspicion of .nepotism. Every man in the service must stand or fali upon his own merits. That this policy has been .given especial prominence hi order to damage by implication the Government's predecessors in office does not make it any the less admirable in principle or ' commendable in practice, and it is therefore' with genuine regret 'that we find the Hon. M. B. Fisher departing from the spirit of those counsels of perfection which he and his colleagues are never tired of voicing. The announcement of the Minister of Customs.that he has issued instructions that applicants ( for positions in departments under his ' control' are to- be submitted to ballot ! introduces an entirely new principle, and an entirely unbusinesslike one. No business man in his sound senses, would j think of leaving even the selection of > ail 'office-bov to the chance of the dice, !and a public service which acquires its recruits in this haphazard manner will have little claim to either confidence or ! respect. The proposal, of course, makes I a good "talking point,' as the advertising J.expert would put it. It ostensibly dis--1 poses altogether of the possibility of I favoritism being shown in making appointments and absolves the Minister j from aby shadow of suspicion in thisj regard. But the new rule is' hedged | about with certain limitations. Only poI sitions "for which no very special qualifications are required" are to be put to the ballot. The Minister, doubtless, will decide which positions come into the ballot category and which do not. Then j again, only the "suitable applicants" are to go to the ballot, and tlur Minister, perhaps', will decide which are suitable : and which are not. If the Minister decides :in a business-like way. he will decide on one applicant, and the ballot, ) system-and the "no favoritism" shibbo- 1 leth will go bv the board. If, on the other hand, the Minister adheres to his ballot proposal, his claims to be an exponent ; of business-like administration must be dismissed. It will be interesting to see upon which horn of his dilemma Mr. Fisher, finally finds a rest- { ing-plaee.