The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. TUESDAY, JAN. 8, 1880.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2573, 8 January 1889, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

TUESDAY, JAN. 8, 1880.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of »vhatsocver state or persuasion, religious or political.

. ♦ We have already animadverted on that glaring abuse—one of those relics of the late extravagant age — Ministerial peregrinations, and the constant flittings over tho country of Heads of some of the official departments, all of which is a vicious misuse of office, demoralising and very harmful to the publie interests. At tiie present moment we have the spectacle of a member of tho Cabinet —the Minister of Lands, wandering about the provincial district of Auckland " inspecting;" here, "making' enquiries" there, and " doputationised" everywhere. There is no absolufo necessity, wo in ay say no necessity at all, for these fours and royal progresses. Every question placed beforo him on these visits, every work of importance that needs carrying out, can bo as effectually decided upon at his table at the seat of Government, without personal Ministerial visitations. It is safe to ass-rt there is not a subject in existence of which complete information is not already in possession of the departments, supplied by intelligent reports from experienced officers of the service. There is no excuse for the frequent absence of Ministers from their head-quarters during the recess, except that of courting popularity at the expense of tho public revenue. Besides Mr Richardson, there is also at the present time in Auckland, Mr T. W. Lewis, Uiider-secretary of the Native Department, again making another of those frequent excursions to the North, the object of which is a mystery to everybody not in the seciet confidence of that übiquitous servant of the public. Although it has been solemnly declared in the House, and out of it, that the Native Office was doomed *and would speedily lie abolished, its dissolution appears to be as remote as before. At least, we have tangible proof of its vitality in the propria persona of its lively Under-Secretary, dancing about the North Island to the tune of a delightful salary of six hundred pounds sterling per annum and ten shillings per diem travelling expenses paid by an admiring country. " But," says a correspondent in a letter to us, " what the special oflicial business is for which he is here, none but the happy recipient alone can tell." There is at the same time another Under - Secretary in Auckland. This distinguished personage is requited for his services to an ungrateful country by an annual salary of s-ven hundred pounds, with the usual addenda when travelling, lie is one of those who can be classed, like the famous li. J. Smy the, amongst the " much travelled " ; intercolonial of course. The Litter gentleman here referred to is Mr O'Connor, Under-Secretary of the Public Works Department, who finds it expedient to visit tho north, as we are told, to "settle" some business matters with the liotorua Railway Company, to " settlo " something in connection with tho Kaihii liailway, and finally to "settlo" something else on another railway This is all moonshine. Tliero is not one of these matters that could not have been "sottlod" more satisfactorily by the issue of departmental instructions in the regular manner from Wellington to the trained and expert district officers. We say moro satisfactorily because we have soon by experience that advantage is frequently taken of opportunities of dealing direct with a Minister, or a high official who assumes tho identical powers of a Minister, to act unfairly. The temptation for corrupt practices is a natural incentive offered by this system. Have wo not en evidence the history of tho Stark and Point Resolution Purchases beforo our eyes, in which the personal interference by Ministers, who chanced to be in Auckland, with tho duties of tho appointed officers caused confusion and miscarriage? This style of travelling at the expense of an overburdened country and depleted treasury, when tho pigeon-holes of tho Groat Building at tho sent of Government have been previously stored with ample knowledge 011 every question concerned, is neither more nor less than acting under false pretences. Public opinion needs routing to put an end to such gross abuses and malversation of office, which carry with them in their tr in all over the country tendencies uo corruption, and permits the Civil Service to assume a prcponderating influence beyond its legitimate functions. Let our readers elance at last night's telegrams irout Wellington and they will

learn that Cabinet meetings to discuss questions of paramount importance cannot be held, and are postponed indefinitely, owing to the absence of so inaiiv "gad-about" Mi nisters. Nor is this the first of such telegrams received from the Empire City from time to time. The people must not relax their watchfulness on the administration of the country's afl'airs, or abate their demands for economy, because there are indications of a return of prosperity. The work must continue and be completed ere we can say we are satisfied. A general who lias merely gained an advantage on an enemy's flank, does not shout " victory" until the latter has been defeated at all points, and is in full retreat from the field. So with us; if the people and the Press relax their efforts with the first dawn of prosperity, if public opinion is allowed to relapse into apathy, it will be impossible to accomplish the work of reformation necessary in the Legislature and executive of the colony. The country at large will not reap the benefit of those advantages which the tide of prosperity should bring upon it. Right-minded men, who look deep and far ahead, not merely on the polished surface, can read the signs aright. Andamongst these signs is the fact that the Premier has abandoned the expectations of revenue lie calculated on obtaining from the Tariff. That outrageous instrument of torture is a decided failure ; it is a certainty that the estimated receipts will show aserious deficit. The Premier is now placing all his hopeson retrenchment in order to balance the expenditure with thcyear's revenue. Anothersign arethe relief returns of the Charitable Aid Boards which are vtry instructive; they demonstrate thai pauperism has increased both in respect to the number of indigent persons and the c*»st per head of the population* No ; this fair land must not be sacrificed for the want of vigilance on the part of its people or plainspeaking on the side of the organs of public opinion.