Our Wellington Letter.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3762, 18 January 1881, Page 2

Our Wellington Letter.

(fbom oub special cobbespondent.)

Wellington, January Bth, 1881.

The Ministry contemplates Discharging 1 the wbole Body of Civil Servants.

The Seasons for so doing.

The Intentions afterwards.

A, gentleman holding a very high official position in Government Buildings forwards me the following communication with a special request |hat its contents may be published as widely as possible, and the communication itself destroyed. As the letter speaks for itself I hasten to send you an authenticated copy: —

My Deab G-eob*b,—After my numerous years of service I hear I am to be discharged, and that within a few months of being entitled to my pension. I applied for Christ: maa leave to our chief; it waa very sneeringly refußed,'and a hint broadly thrown okt that in a very short time:l migtit have as many holidays as I liked, as he had it in his mind for some time to make a number of sweeping reductions and changes, not only in my office bu*?,.with his colleagues approval, in all others. The Minister further insinuated that they, the Government, had also positively decided, should they remain in office for the current year, that every Civil Servant, messengers upwards, would bediemisßed,re-model the departments, and take on whom they considered most suitable. You can imagine tny feelings* during that eventful day, and as I appeared so dull and out of sons, and my wife noticing the change, I had to tell her all, and then I had the inward consolation of meeting with regret and real sympathy. Christmas this year has indeed- been a most miserable one to us, and the same applies to hundreds of other poor Civil Servants with their families all over the colony. It is only from what I am daily and hourly hearing that I can now realise our position, and that all the hints thrown out are likely to be melancholy facts. -Many of us must soon face the worst, and our lot, indeed, at the termination of a long official life without any prospects (after a? speedy dismissal) makes the future family picture a truly cad one. The heartless members of Hall's Government, including himself, do not care how much expenditure goes on on the West Coast, what extravagance takes place in Native lands, the raising of customs, the unrighteous stoppage of a penny from each' poor pensioner, and a hundred abd one other things, so long as a certain, institution can,pull the strings, and compel certain members to vote with them in anticipation of land jobs, pastoral leases, and. subsidies to favored parts'- with a view of keeping them in office. I hear the inteution is to give all the public servants notice in case they can stick to offica before the general elections, so as to have them under review, i and in case any of them uses their influence , to weaken their position, out they go afceri Auckland, unfortunately, has brought all this misfortune on the colony through its soapy " Doctor," Dan Pollen, voting for the removal of the seat of Government, and the four rats, Wood,.Swanson, Hurst and Colb ck having betrayed the confidence of their several constituencies simply because it was arranged that the " independent" public opinion of that city would justify their conduct. Thank God we have a new Governor who is likely to be different from old Normanby or Robinson, and who, if I mistake not, will make Johnny Hall Bmell '• popper " even before Parliament is summoned. The whole army of Civil Servants should work diligently on the quiet, and leave no stone unturned to send Hall, Atkinson, Whituker, their collsa^ues raid servile followers, to the right about when the elections take place. 1 ' T shall take'an'early opportunity of again dropping you a few lineß. In the meantime agitate, agitate, agitate, and believe me.—Yours faithfully, S. C. D. MR VESBY STfIWART AND HIS . COMPANY. ! * It is understood that Government j through Sir-Julius Vogel, have consented | to give an assurance to the company which Mr Stewarc floated at home, to settle in the Bay of Plenty districT'that a title would be given tliem for the quantity of land which they took up on conditions of | occupancy. Sir Julius, I suppose, as he was about leaving office, would have no interest in the management. There you know Mr Stewart is an aspirant for parliamentary honors, and owns a newspaper which might prove powerful or otherwise at the general election. There are wheels vvithin wheels, but I suppose a gentle amount of log rolling will always prevail, s even in honest New Zealand. COLONEL READER AND SUPERINTENDENT SHfIARMAN. The Under Secretary for Defence and Commissioner of the Armed Constabulary, Colonel Reader, and Mr Shearman who is in charge.of the Wellington Police Force, hare had a nice little quarrel, so it is stated. *An enquiry is likely to follow, but the whole facts are sure to be got at when the House meets, and then—well, we shall see. THE GOVERNOR AND YOUR SENIOR MEMBER. Already some of the Southern Minis-terial-journals are rampant orer the visit of Sir Arthur Gordon to Sir George Grey. I do not wonder at this, as pastoral leases in the city of the plains are gradually sinking below par, and Patetere scrip has already fallen five per cent. Taranaki debentures will meet with a reverse, and a loan-company and other specs are sure to experience a"decline which may not he of a pleasing character to their share holders. THE PRESS AND ITS POLICY. , The Lyttelton Times, Wairarapa Standard, and a few other journals are now about the best informed newspapers in New Zealand. The first, ranks as the leading paper in the colony from its independent writing and forcible reasoning. The policy of the Herald at Auckland is not favourably spoken of, but to this I do not attach much importance, as the making of another ■ bank agreement or the floating of another loan by the present Ministry would at once establish its entire " independence." Would that the late lamented owner ef the Herald had lived. • THE NATIVE MINISTER THAT 18 - TO BE. So far as I can. gather, nothing has yet been decided upon as to Mr. Bryce's successor. His retirement from the portfolio of native affairs will be a welcome boon to the colony, for after.all he is only a man of crochets. The Hall Government are in a fix. They.dare,not"appoint another Native Minister from the South, and any North Island"member who takes it is not likely to hare even a small following. > Of course, in writing about Mr Bryce's successor, I am keeping in view that a follower of the present Cabinet will be the Native Minister. With the shifting of portfolios, I wonder if there is a chance for poor Hjjpst or

Wood. The former was an expectant, whilst the latter got the tip that, notwithstanding his desertion, he could not be appointed Agent-General. My confidential advice to the Premier is—take in Swanson, and you will hare all the talents. THE UNDER-SECRETARY FOR CROWN LANDS. Mr Huntley Elliott, the UnderSecretary for Crown Land, has gone to Auckland on official business connected with his department. He will -confer with the Crown Lands Commissioner on various topics, and no doubt meet Mr Stewart on his arrival by the incoming mail'steamer. ANOTHER SOP TO SUPPLY DILLON SELL'S PLACE. I hear than one of the governing families from the Nelson provincial district will be called to the Upper House before Parliament, is summond for the despatch of business, so as to render a j little help to a tottering Miuistry. I AN AMENDMENT, ON THE? NATIVE LA.NDS ACT. Both Messrs P.' A. Wbitaker and Whyte, M.H.it.'s, are believed to be largely interested in two splendid blocks of land in the Bay of Plenty district. There may riot be much importance in the announcement, however, that a new bill for dealing with native lands in that section of country is to be laid before Parliament, but many busybodies say there is more it than at present appears on the surface. Ido not know,myself, but let it develop itself, and J, have no doubt but that something spicy will be "the consequence. THE HON. MR OLIVER. The breach between the Minister of Public Works and his colleagues is for the present patched up. There is no doubt that the breach will quickly widen, as Oliver is one of the Cabinet who must go. Otago must be conciliated, and to do this the "experienced" Minister of Public Works' ticket is labelled, " Be you ready. You are not suitable, and -we must go if you remain."