Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-02-17

cordingIy, in many instances, been represented
ing ability to the clerks and underlings they
must necessarily employ. But the time is
coming that 1t IS not far distant we are
assured by the symptoms Of unease that sol
universally pervade the community when this
thing can be no more People are fast Sickcn.
ing Of the meals Of mere tawdry and wind
upon which the government would have them
feed they want something more than empty
sham aud glitter, for money is too dearly
earned in these days Of competition to be law
shed upon every buhoonery that may sugges,
itself to the pleasure Of empty yheadcd officials.
What country but this would allow the conduct
uf its affairs to remain in the hands Of men who
have no more respect for themselves than to be
the colleagues and coadjutors Of a dissolute
mountcbank, who is only in his element in the
barroom amongst drunken sailors, and who is
| seldom in a condition to do the necessary work
| Of his Office What community but this would
have sat by so quietly looking on, from the be
ginning to the elimination Of farce as gigantic
| in It's absurdity as in the expense incuued2 ?
And what community but this would he con
tent to foot the bills of expensive embassies
sent 10 foreign lands for the mere purpose OF
bringing the representatives Of greater states to
laugh at our follies, for else they could not do'
With things so ineStricably mixed and
tangled as they have become, 1t will require
brain and nerve to avert the total wreck that
lies in prospect and il we escape at all with
our national identity preserved, it will only be
by the earliest possible removal of the trash
tha, is impeding the wheels Of government.
The Collector General Of Customs receives
an annual salary Of $4,000. AT present he is
absent on a well earned leave, and one neces-
stated by the poor condition Of his health,
which is mainly owing to his long and close
confinement in the business Of his office. No
man has ever filed this Office with greater
fahfulness and ability than Colonel Allen
and the public cannot well complain at the
amount Of his salary considering the work he
performs and the qualifications necessary to an
incumbent Of such an Office The headshpS
Of other bureaus would perhaps not be overpad
at the same salary, were the work pertaining to
such but faithfully and competently performed.
In one notable case, however, it would seem
that the bureau needs no head, and that the Of.
hce has only been given out in order 10 estab.
lish the legal right Of n favored individual to
suck an uncarned share of the government
pap. The individual himself, by his repeated
absence from the Office upon every trivial oc-
casion, has furnished his own demonstration
that his services are entirely unneeded, and
therefore we. for one, preiernng consistency
would favor the idea Of calling his pay q
pension" rather than "salary." II hi
needs pension, and is deserving of one, by
all means let him have it. Then he may ap
propriately play the ambassador, be the attend
ant on royal tours or spokesman, OF fulfil sucf
other and various functions as are consistent
with his own pleasure; but such performance
are utterly inconsistent when done by one paiC
for other work.