The Waikatu Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Or whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1891.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2946, 2 June 1891, Page 2

The Waikatu Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and exact justice to all men, Or whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 1891.

Ik excessive asscrtiveness could bo accepted by those who have studied human nature as in any but the smallest degree indicative of mental capacity, the Ballance Ministry would, as regards two of its prominent members, be regarded as strong and pure. Mr Seddon and Mr McKenzie are as good exemplars of self-importance as could be met with in many a long day's march. Their newness to the position they hold, however, is discernible at every turn. As irresponsible politicians they have talked much —we were about to write nonsense, bufc will modify our language by saying —concerning things which they less than half understood, and now that they are in a position of trust and responsibility have proved unable to cast aside their bad habits—in other words, turn over a new leaf, and only speak or act after, by industry, having as far as in them lay thoroughly digested the questions under review or calling for action. It is with Mr McKenzie that we have to do on this occasion. Some few weeks since it devolved upon us to point out that that gentleman was lamentably ignorant of the most important of his business upon which all the others hinge—the financial. Display of ignorance is a partially venal offence and one that may be looked over with some degree of leniency when committed by one who had hardly become fairly seated upon a Ministerial stool. The room to hope exists that a thorough coaching by the head of the Department nominally ruled by a Minister, will unke that functionary politically presentable, ft is a much more serious matter, however, when at so early a date after taking office a Minister .should be charged with in the most callous manner playing skittles with officers of the Department over which a Parliamentary accident has placed him. We are not inclined to attach excessive importance to the statements of retrenched or " shuffled" Government officials, or, for that matter, those of any man at au early date after he has been dealt with in a manner not in consouauco with his wishes or interests. Neither iu the remarks we are about to mako shtill wo lose sight of tho fact that tho principal duty of tho present Ministry is to retrench wherever practicable without unduly lessening the efficient conduct of public busiuess.

Tho matter wo have to deal with is the treatment to which Mr John Spence has been subjected. That gentleman has beon for fourteen years Chiof Surveyor and for eight years Commissioner of Lands for tho Southland district. Wo will allow him to state his own case so far as our space will admit of our quoting from his speech, delivered before a considerable number of those who were best able to judge of his public character and official capacity. The speech was tho outcome of a presentation to him before his departure for Great Britain, he having resigned from the service and resolved upon that course. He is very fully reported in the Otago Daily Times, and the report implies that all the statements put forth were accepted as true by those who had had ample opportunity of judging of their accuracy. We may add that the same paper, in a strong loading article, condemns the Ministor. Mr Spence said: "Tho Civil SerTice is now under a reign of terror ; officers are discharged and kicked about from pillar to post, us if government were simply a big game of football. For some

years loack Mr McKenzie, as an Opposition member has been firing away at the Government at the j time in reference to the mal-adoiin-istration of the forests iu Southland. As Mr McKenzie did not represent a Southland constituency, and scl dom honoured the South with his presence, his knowledge must have been gained by instruction, or a dear friend must often have reminded him that, so long as lie (the friend) was outside I he pale of Government service, so long and no longer would maloidininistration continue. Mr McKenzie's friend visited me with him. We had a talk together, and the Minister appeared satisfied with my explanations. Throughout tho conversation, however, he was always bringing in the claims of his friend. I thought it my duty to inform him that, although his friend was courteous and obliging, it was undesirable in the interests of the

M-rvict; tlmt lio .sliould be, appointed. In tin; interests of tho .Ministry I |)oint»d out that his appointment would create reinarl,-, Shortly after Mr McKenzie's return to Wellinglon, down ciiiuo a nifinclate that I must remove to Westland, that the present ran»cr must remove to Canterbury, that two others must be discharged, and that Mr Nelson must be prepared to move. This is the bane, but behold the. all-power-ful antidote. His friend muat be appointed ranker at a high salary as tin: only means of saving the forests and averting the destruction of the country." Had not an oflicer been appointed to replace those, discharged comment would perhaps be uncalled for. The fact cannot, however, be got over that as we pointed out some time back as being the danger of the retrenchment policy Was actually arisen, »aini'ly, that Ministers would bow otticials out at the front door and smuggle their j friends through the baric, and perch them upon the vacant stools. As we said above, we are not given to placing implicit reliance on the statements of discharged officials but when those statements are endorsed by a large number of people in the position to judge we cannot help according them credence, more particularly when a respectable newspaper which of necessity must be well informed re-endorscs the bill of indictment. From the first many people have he.d the opinion that Mr McKenzie was not qualified for his position but it was scarcely expected that his official integrity would ever have to be called in question. Mr Spence was in the position to lie independent of the service, and has in consequence spoken his mind and told his tale, which cannot fail to cause uneasiness in the minds of all who desire to see strict economy exercised. To discharge one man and appoint another, who so far as we can glean never was in the service before, is certainly not economy, and is most distinctly an injustice to those who have been discharged after lengthy service. We notice tiiat the Lyttelton Times, which is of course prepared to, and does back up the Ministry with all its ability admits that some of Mr McKenzie's doings require investigation, but excuses his action in the above matter by assuming that because Mr Spence has spoken his mind that renovation of the Southland office was required. Tolerably good shuffle this, but a very weak argument.