VERY LATEST

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3764, 19 March 1891, Page 2

VERY LATEST

(By Telegraph).

[Pec Press Association.]

Fatal Aooideat.

Wellington, Thursday. A fatal accident occurred at Oable's Lion Foundry this morning. Johni W M'Kenzie, engineer and foreman of works, was overhead engaged shifting a travelling crane, when he' ' missed his footing and in his decent. caught hold of a driving rope and 'was dashed against the wall of the office, t He was picked up unconsoious and 1 , sent to the Hospital, hut expired without recovering consciousness. j. The base of his scull is fraotured, it 1 is supposed through striking the iron columns. McKenzie, who is a married man with five children, came out as chief engineer of the Government steamer Stella, and for some years , held a similar position on the Hinemoa. . T : — > Death f Waipawa, Thuwday. J A man named W. Ooleß was found .>' dead on the main road near Wan* j Btead. At the inquest a verdict wad ' | returned that he died from excessive -J drinking and exposure. «.J Bepalrlne fj| Wellington, Thursday- .1 The cable repairing < steamer J Reoorder arrived here this morning T . short of coal. Owing to the unfavorable weather encountered she has been unable to complete the repairs 'j to the Australian oable, but leaves yi again to work at it to-morrow v] morning. It will therefore be some H days yet before she is available to pick up and repair the Oook Strait oable, Captain Gray, of the Oustomß 3 Department, will pilot the steamer in 1 ] the latter work. < Civil Senrloo Classification \

Wellington, Thursday. Government are engaged indrawing up a scheme for the classification ef the whole Civil Servioe. . Vogel'fl proposals in the Financial Statement of 1887 are the basis, and power ia already given under an Aot of 1886 to classify. No iurther legislation is needed, but the Government is contemplating, consolidating the laws relating to the Civil Servioe, and is taking power to appoint an advisory counoil of the heads of Departments. The offioers will be divided into eight classes, each with four divisions, the lowest being cadets and highest those with salaries Jrbm L 450 to LBOO, No - distinction is to be made between the pro* fessional and clerical branches. Promotion will be mainly by merit, but Parliament may be from time to time asked to vote increases in one or more divisions if it should be seen the salaries paid are inadequate. Such increases will not be regular and will always be subject to the vote of Parliament. As soon as the classification is oompleted it will be gazetted, but appeals will bo allowed, as Ministers recognise it will be impossible to make a satisfactory adjustment at the first attempt, and time must be allowed to smooth away irregularities. The present system of deducting JgMper cent from salaries for allowance does not meet approval of the Government, who propose to have a special table drawn up by the Insurance Department, under which (Civil servants oan obtain bofh life assuranoe and annuity*