MORE FACTS ABOUT ' STUFFING.' SOME EXAMPLES FROM CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 12, 20 March 1902, Page 3

MORE FACTS ABOUT ' STUFFING.' SOME EXAMPLES FROM CHRISTCHURCH.

sr\ra Or AFrAiRs j\ a'j:<l\\3 The following further returns from the Chriatchurch district show that if the public service is ' stuffed ' with the members of any one denomination it is not at least with Catholics :—: — Christ church Bee citing Home (under the Industrial Schools' Act). — Manager, £120 per annum : attendants, £180 a year. Two and sometimes three attendants are employed, for which the latter sum is voted. There are no Catholics employed in the institution. Burnham Industrial School. — Manager, £180 per annum ; matron, £70 ; schoolmaster, £150 ; assistant do, £100 ; cadet, £65There is also a vote for attendants amounting to £1361. The number of attendants varies according to requirements. Of these only one is a Catholic. All the permanent officials are non-Catho-lics. Taking the permanent officials and the attendants together they number about 30, with only one Catholic among them. The whole of the salaries amount to £1926 per annum, of which sum only £65 or £70 at the outside is drawn by the solitary Catholic. Although the proportion of Catholics to the general population is as one to seven, yet here in a public institution they are represented by one in 30, and for every £1 drawn by this Catholic employe non-Catholicß draw over £60. Here is a glaring example of religious ' stuffing,' but our co- religionists are certainly not the sinnersTo Aronga Home (Burwood), an institution for classification under the Industrial Schools' Act. The employes are a manager at £150 per annum, and three or four attendants, for whose services a lump sum of £200 is voted annually. There are no Catholics among those engaged in this institution. Suvinrr Deaf and Dumb Institution. — The following is the list : Director, £450 per annum ; 1 teacher at £210 a year, 1 do. at £195 1 at £150, 1 at £140, 1 at £120, and 1 at £100; 3 instructor^ (special classes) £100 per year each ; steward and matron, £200 per annum ; sub-matron, £52 ; servants (number varies), total vote £236 Among the 13 salaried offijials there is only one Catholic. Including servants the total sum voted for the employes of the institution amounts to £2153 out of which the solitary Catholic draws £52, or in other words £1 out of every £41 8a paid as wages and salaries in the institution. It is evident from the figures given with reference to the forementioned public institutions in and around Christchurch that instead of our co-religionists being represented amongst the employes in excess of their proportion in the population, the contrary is the case. The fact of so very few Catholics being employed in these public institutions creates a suspicion that they have been rigidly excluded from all positions save the lowest and worst paid. AUCKLAND. We have been unable to get a Hat of salaries paid to the officers of the Justice Department in Auckland, but we have been informed that there are no Catholics among the staffs of the Supreme Court and S M. Court in that city. Railway Department. — Total clerical staff (including stationmasters, clerks, cadets). 118. Of Lhese 13 are Catholics, or one in every nine. The guards, porters, shunters, etc.. number 232, of whom 20 are Catholics, being one in nearly every 12. There aie 375 platelayers, etc., among whom are 53 Catholics — one in seven. The drivers and firemen total 156, 11 of them being Catholics. The total of employes on the Government railways make 881, and of these 107 are Catholica, being less than one in eight. It will be noticed that the Catholics are more numerous in the lower grades of the service than iv better paid positions. Unfortunately we are not in a position to give a list of salaries. Had we been able to do so the disadvantages under which our co-religionists suffer in this branch of the public service, where, by the way, it is alleged they receive the mo>t favor, would be more apparent. Custom*. — There are 19 Customs officers in Auckland, of whom two are Catholics, the proportion of our co-religionists being less than one in nine. We have been unable to get a list of salaries, but experience leads us to believe that nearly all the high-paid officials are non-Catholios In many of the Government offices in Auckland, such as the Native Lands', Official Assignee's, Registrar of Deaths, Public Trust and Advances to Settlers', no Catholics are employed ; in others' Buch as the Lands and Survey, Agricultural Department, etc., there are either one or two in each offise. We are not in a position to state the salaries of these officers, but from what we know of similar Government offices in other parts of the Colony we can safely presume that our co-religionists are neither duly represented as to number, nor do they draw salaries according to their proportion in the general population.

Post and Telegraph Department. — The following is a list of officers, etc., in the Post and Telegraph office, Auckland distriot, together with a statement of their graie, salaries or wages, and creed :—: —

The above figures have been compiled from the departmental list for the financial year 1901-1902. Since the publication of the list — Axigust of last year — some transfers may have taken place

which would have the effect of slightly altering the figures, but not to any appreciable extent. Had the salaries of local postmasters been included in the list the number of employes would be over 200. Of these only 16 are Ctaholics- -or less than 1 in 12. Of the amount paid in salaries and wages by the department in the district Catholioa draw £1 out of every £13 14s. Comment iB unnecessary.

b-rade. Salary. Religion. Inspector of telegraphs £500 non-Oatholic Officer in charge (telegraph) 38.3 „ Chief clerk (post office) 330 „ Senior M.O. and S.B. clerk 300 Catholic Assist, officer in charge (telegraph) 250 non-Catholic 2 Benior mail clerks 250 each „ Second M.O. clerk 250 „ Mail agent 250 „ Senior check clerk (telegraph) 220 „ Senior counter clerk „ 220 „ Senior telephone clerk 210 „ Mechanician 220 „ 2 check clerks (telegraph) 220 each „ 5 clerks (post office) 200 „ „ 1 clerk „ 200 Catholic Despatch clerk 200 non-Catholic 1 counter clerk (telegraph) 200 „ 10 telegraphists 200 each „ 1 telegraphist 200 Catholic 10 clerks (post office) 180 each non-Catholio 2 „ „ 180 „ Catholic Newspaper sorter 140 Catholic Letter-carriers' Borter 180 non-Catholic G clerks (post office) 170 each „ 1 clerk (post office) 160 „ Assistant letter-carrier's sorter 150 „ !! I) 145 „ 2 clerks (post office) H 5 each „ 3 it i> 130 „ „ 9 Telegraphists 180 „ „ Counter clerk (tel.) 180 „ 3 Telegraphists 170 each „ 1 „ 170 Catholic 1 „ 160 non-Oatholio 3 „ 130 Lineman (foreman) 160 „ 7 Cadets (telegraph) 100 each „ 1 Cadet „ 100 Catholic 9 Cadets (post office) 100 each non-Oatholic 5 ), „ 65 each „ 1 „ (tel.) 65 1 „ (post office) 50 „ Chief postmaster 500 „ Senior clerk (teleph. ex.) 120 „ Assist. „ „ 120 „ - 2 Supervisors „ 100 each „ 17 Cadettes „ 80 „ „ 5 „ „ SO „ Catholic 1 Cadette (post office) 100 non -Catholic 1 „ (teleph. ex.) 70 Catholic 2 Cadettes „ 60 each non-Catholic 2 , „ 50 „ ',] Linemen 140 each non-Catholic 2 .. 125 „ 2 Letter-carriers 140 „ „ 2 „ 135 „ 4 „ 120 „ 2 „ 95 „ 2 >i 85 „ „ 3 „ 80 „ 3 „ 75 „ „ 11 .. 70 „ Messenger (post office) 120 „ Assistant Messenger (post office) 110 , 4 „ „ „ 70 each „ 2 Counter Clerks (telegraph) 150 „ „ 1 „ Clerk „ 140 1 „ „ „ 120 Assistant Counter Clerk (telegraph) 85 „ Junior Telegraph Exchange Clerk 115 „ 2 „ „ „ „ 100 each „ 1 i, „ „ it 90 Catholic 1 it tt nt)n t) 80 „ 2 Assistant Despatch Clerka 70 each non-Catholic 1 „ „ Clerk 65 „ 2 Distributors (telegraph) 65 each „ * i) ii 60 n i)