'STUFFING' IN CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 8, 20 February 1902, Page 2

'STUFFING' IN CHRISTCHURCH

Some Startling Figures.

One Man in 20 ; £1 in £25. The saffron-colored epileptics who, for sectarian and political ends, raised such a scream about the alleged ' stuffing ' of the public ser vice with ' Papists,' pointed out the Railwajs and Post Offic c Departments as peculiarly flagrant instances of this mode of ' bid. ding for the' Catholic vote.' As already pointed out, no attempt whatever has been made by them, despite repeatel challenges in the public Press, to substantiate the charge of ' stuffing,' either as regards these or any other Department of public service. Those who made these charges were evidently fully aware of their falsehood and lied boldly and with deliberate intent. We, however, are not like them, fact-shy. We have, so far as our circumstances permitted, carefully investigated the position of Catholics in the various Departments of the public service. The results of the inquiries made and published by us up to the present conclusively prove, bo far as they have gone, that Catholics, so far from being favored in the distribution of offices of emolument in the gift of the State, hold, in the public service, a position which is, both in relative numbers and relative pay, far below that to which their proportion in the total population of the Colony would entitle them. We have already demonstrated the rank absurdity of the charge of 'stuffing ' as applied to the railways and post-offices in Otago generally, in Dunedin and in several other centres of population in New Zealand. The following returns from the Christchurch Post-Office are the result of careful inquiry, and completely dispose of the 1 stuffing ' legend so far as Canterbury's capital is concerned. We have before us a complete list of the names of the various employes. The length of service in each case is up to the end of last March :—: —

This gives a total of 77 employes of every grade in the postoffice, Christchurch. Of this number only five (or less than one in every fifteen employes) are Catholics. The amount (according to the classification list) paid in salaries and wages to thepe 77 employes reaches a total of £10,750 par annum. Of this amount the five Catholic employes draw only £580 or £1 in every £18 10s of the total sum annually expended in salaries and wages in the office. It will be noticed that the latest local appointment of a Catholic in the, Christchurch post-office took place thirteen years ago.

Position Length of Salary Religion Service Second Mail Room Clerk 28 „ £250 non-Catholio Money Order Clerk 24 „ 250 „ Parcel Clerk 34 „ 220 „ Mail Room Clerk 28 „ 200 „ Clerk P.O. 28 „ 200 „ „ M.O. 25 „ 200 Catholio „ Mail Room 24 „ 200 non-Catholic Charge of Carriers 23 „ 200 „ Clerk Mail Room 23 „ 200 „ Money Order Clerk 22 „ 190 „ Mail Room Clerk 21 „ 190 „ >» »» »i 19 )> 180 „ Money Order Clerk 17 „ 180 „ Mail Room „ 13 „ 180 „ 3 „ „ „ 12 „ each 180 each „ Counter Clerk 11 „ 170 „ Mail Room Clerk 11 „ 170 „ » » » 12 „ 160 „ Parcels Clerk 12 „ 160 „ Money Order Clerk 10 „ 160 „ >» i) ») 11 ii I*s „ 4 Mail Room Clerks 7 „ each 130 each „ Cadet 7 „ 100 „ 2 Cadets 5 „ each 100 each „ Cadet 3£ „ 85 „ 6 „ 100 2* „ 65 v 6 „ (promoted) 100 „ „ 8 years 100 „ 7 „ 115 „ 8 „ 105 „ „ 6 „ 85 „ )) * „ 80 „ i: 3 „ 75 „ 1 „ 70 2 Letter-carriers 28 „ each 140 each „ 2 „ „ 22 „ „ 140 „ 1 Letter-carrier 20 „ 140 „ 2 Letter-carriers 19 „ each 140 each „ 1 letter-carrier 10£ years (appointed in Wellington) 120 Catholic „ „ 11 years 120 non-Catholio 2 letter-carriers 3 „ each 115 each „ 1 letter-carrier 4 „ 105 „ 2 letter-carriers 3 „ each 75 each „ 2 2 „each 70 „ 2 „ 1J „ 70 1 Catholio (appointed in Hokitika) 4 „ (returned troopers, just appointed) 105 each non-Catholio 1 letter-carrier, jußt appointed 75 „ 1 messenger 24 years 100 „ „ „ 12 „ 120 Catholio (the last Catholic appointed in Christchnrch) „ „ 14 years 120 non-Catholio „ „ 3 „ 70 Catholio (appointed in Wellington) „ „ 1 year 70 non-Catholio „ „ 4 years 40 „ >, )> 2 „ 70 „

Position. Length of Salary. Religion. ' Service. 'ostmaater 47 years £500 non-Catholi tyief Clerk 35 „ 355 i) loney Order Clerk, "■ senr. 33 „ ieoond Money Order Clerk 29 „ 300 260 it it