WELLINGTON.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 786, 30 June 1877, Page 5 (Supplement)

WELLINGTON.

(From the " Auckland Evening Star.") ' Wellington, June l.°>. THE CIVIL SERVICE, i Youi; remarks on yom- correspondent's : letter of June Ist were telegraphed to the ; Wellington .-"Evening Argus," and appeared ■ m that paper's issue of the Bth instant. I Tin y formed the subject of conversation that ;cvc:iing, and, except 'to ultra-Ministerial- ' isf.s, gave general.s atisfaction. There is a : feeling here amongst the Ci/il Servants that,. ' Auckland has taken ail especial "down" j upon them. ' This is, no doubt, owing to the course adopted by Mr Swansnn and one or two others, m their Avell-meaht endeavours to expose and -check abuses m the Civil Service. The Service itself is, of course, a necessity, and though a good Aveeding of the, "officials Avould benefit the colony generally, and the Service itself specially, yet the bulk, of the officials are hardworking, cojisViehtioiis, painstaking men. Their Avo'rst ; en'etnies Avoiild, however, pity them under the present regime. Strict discipline is the order of the day : clerks are to take their seats at 0.30. a.i'u. to the second^ and, remain m their places till 12. 30. 'when they are allowed liaif-an-hour for luncheon!, Svhich has to be partaken [ within the , 'precincts of the building ; resume their seats at 1. p.m. and remain till 4.30: Talking during office hours is strickly prohibited; if compelled to leave the office permission must iirstj be obtained from the head clerk, so we have the amusing, but slightly -humiliating; exhibition of (for example) an old grey beard appealing to his junior m years though his senior m office m the language of our boyhood "Please Sir, maylgo out?' recently ' a gentleman m one of the offices instead of the- usual formula, " Please sir, may I go out," informed his chief that lie was going out: the reprimand followed sharp .and decisive,— " Resume your seat sit once; sir, and go on Avith your work." Then damc 1 ' the retort courteous from the'.-incligtiant sub, "Look here, Mr you may go to— -t — "(a Avarmer climate), 'and he left ; thc ; bffice and' the i Service there and then. ■ • DERLUVKD OF THEIR TTFFIN.— • GRIEF OF THE OL1) ONES. # It is a very sore point Avith the Civil Servants not' being allowed to leaA r e the Buildings for luncheon. This is a new regulation, and one that is particularly galling, especially 'to middle-aged men, who not only miss the few ■ minutes' AvUlk and the stretch of. the legs m going to and from, their favourite' diving- rooms, but after years of diligent performance of their duties to ba treated like naughty schoolboys is almost more tha.-i even they can stand. The immediate result of this regulation is : Firstly, to 'cause, general dissatisfaction amongst the officials, and secondly to caiise each office m the Buildings to be turned for half-an-hour or so each day into a kitchen. The other day I met an official — a gentleman who had grow grey m the service— purchasing " the modest chop " ior his mid-day repast : he was quite pathetic overt-he discomforts and annoyances of the newregulatinns, and pointed out to me, Avhat Avas.no doubt .the case, that what Avith cooking, Avashing-tip, &c, more time is -now wasted' than Avhen tho clerks Avcre allowed to leave tor half-an-hour. It is astonishing that intelligent Englishmen can put up Avith such treatment, 'bnt there is a sort of reign of terror established by Messrs Atkinson and C 0.,,. and tame submission to their "autocratic 'edicts is the order of the day. But let the friends of the Civil Servants take heart of grace, there is yet one bright spot m their existance, and that is, their personal comfort is carefully considered. We boast of having, m the Ncav Governmen 1 :. Buildings, the largest wooden building m the avoiM, (it might not inaptly be termed " Vogel's Folly") and when its iutornal"decorations are completed, it Avill certainly be the most expensively and most extravagantly furnished Government Buildings m the world. All the floors are hoav being covered with Brussells carpet — none of your sham stuff, but the genuine article— l was admiring it the other day, Avhen the man Avho Avas manipulating it informed me. that it Avas the best carpet he had seen out here, and Avould, no doubt, have been fearfully expensive only the Government bought it m very large' quantities. I said " did they purchase it by the ton ?" " No," he replied, "carpet is sold by measurement." I then suggested they had bought it by the acre, but he couldn't say. I have made a careful calculation, and discovered it Avill take an acre and a half to cover the floors; i Faccy the following account : — New Zealand Government, Dr. to : : — ! — 1J acres Brussels Carpet, at £2000 -,- . per acre .. .. .. .. £3000 0 0 This is a festive sort of item Avhen Aye take into consideration the debt, eighteen millions; income twelve hundred thousand; and annual expenditure, fifteen hundred thousand. i MINISTERIAL DIFFERENCES. The Wellington "Times" has run a-muck at a certain neAvspaper correspondent here for spreading a report of there being adisagreement m the Cabinet. Noav, everyone knows, and has known, for some time, that Mr Whitaker is not m accord with his colleagues, so Avhence this "thusness" on the part of the "Times," Mr Wiiitaker himself on the floor of the Hoiisc last session made no secret of .his holding views diametrically opposed to those . held by his colleagues, but his colleagues swallowed this humiliating announcement ; anything, ju, fact, to hold -office. < And then Ncav Zealand Avas treated to the painful spectacle- of one member, of the Ministry foregoing his I privileges as Premier for filthy lucre, selling, as it were, his political, birthright for £500, for Mr, Whitaker is virtually Premier, though Major Atkinson draws the salary. MECHANICS' INSTITUTE. . There is a rumour here, Avhich, so far as lam able to test.it, appears to be avcll founded, that the Government Avill place on the estimates, a considerable sum of money to be distributed amongst the Mechanics' Institutes, m the colony, and m aid of country libraries. SIR JULIUS VOGEL'S TRAVELLING EXPENSES. It is stated here, on report Avhicli is believed to haA T e emanated from someone m the Treasury, that the Treasurer Avill attempt next session to get Vogel's £2,000 travelling expenses paid, Avhich the House refused to paos. last- session. It is said that Yogel gaA r e his note of baud to a. financial firm m England for the money, and that this firm has been able to b.ting some influence to bear Avith a view of recovering its money. .The Government Avill make another attempt next session to induce Parliament to vote the money. THE NATIVE OFFICE. The annual cost, of the Native Lands Court has been about £20,000. An endeaA r our was made recently to retrench, and a few unfortunate junior' clerks v avcic < dismissed, • and the salaries of some feAv subordinate officers curtailed. The big screAvs and lavish travelling silloAvances of the Judges, Commissioners, and heads of Departments are left untouched. It is said that there Avill be a saving of £500 or £600, but this Avill bo exceeded by the expense of establishing the new system, should the Lands Court Bill pass.