Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1911. CIVIL SERVICE PATRONAGE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10234, 10 May 1911, Page 4

Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1911. CIVIL SERVICE PATRONAGE.

For years past Mr A. L. Herdman, M.P., has been driving to annihilate the .system of patronage which has sapped the vitality of the Civil Service of this country and made the departmental l officials of the State creatures of the political party in power for the time being. That he has not yet succeeded is no reflection upon his industry or persistency. Tn discussing the question of patronage, it is interesting to note ]v)w vigorously it is opposed by the Civil Service of the United Kingdom. "Tt is a. matter of comimon belief that •the Oivi.l Service of this country is recruited >bv means of open competitive examinations, and that the days of patronage have practically ceased," 'Says a document just put out bv certain members of the Civil Service. This, however, is far from the truth, they say, and there exists a

large and increasing number of patronage appointments. The principle of open iconnpeiation lias been a<miply justified iby its results during the pasrb forty years, but a certain, compromise lias unforjtunajtely been used ever since to keep open the dioor of pajti'onago, iand at the present timo tlhero is an increasing tendency on the parts of Jieads of departments to avail (themselves of those clauses of the Order in Council which were devised ibo (meet the opposition of only one office in 1870. To use these clauses in order to exercise patronage in 1910 is (to make an unfair use of an obsolescent compromise. To obtain any appointment not Allied by opein competition, 'influence', is necessary, and in order ito be successful, applicants must be able to bring political or personal interest .to beair j on the authority with whom rests the power of nomination or appointment. A -striking example of the tendency to revert to patronage is afforded by t'lie -appointment of hired clerks to .the Admiralty. In 1904 there was "introduced in this department >a scheme which replaced a number of hired writers, assistant clerks, and Second Division clerks by a new class of hired clerks 'who wex© appointed without examination, entirely 'by paitnonage. The scheme, which was begun in the OonitraiA Department, ihas 'been rapidly extended through the various departments of the Admiralty, with the result that there are now 211 of these clerks; moreover, established posts to which they may be promoted have been specially provided for them. Complaints are made that appointments in the Board of Education and the Labour Exchanges are being made by patronage, and' the objectors declare that, "It oannot be denied that a system which provides so many opportuinii ties for the exercise of patronage is .fundamentally unsound, and that the appointment of Civil Servants by ruomination does not tend to promote the highest efficiency of the public service. With few exceptions every rank should he filled by man whose qualifications for entry into the Service are their educational attainments. Merit, not influence, should be the supreme test, and the liighest positions of the- iService nhould be open to every one who possesses the necessary abiyty."