The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-16

lets declaring that one of the first acts
of the Irish parliament will be a whole
sale reduction of staffs in all departments.
accompanied by the replacement of all
who do not agree with the politics of
those in control of the new irish gov
ernment. by persons who have earned
public appointments by political services.
How absurd this is must be evident
to any one who is familiar with the con-
ditions of public service in this country.
1t is the hardest thing in the world to
get rid of a public official once he has
been appointed. He is so thoroughly
protected by the civil service laws that
only the most flagrant dereliction of duty
Is an excuse for removing him and even
when his office has become entirely su-
perfuous the only way in which it can
be abolished is by paying to its occu-
pant sum of money calculated on the
capital value of his salary for the rest
of his life. 1t is hardly likely then that
an Irish government would burden it
self at the outset with such an enormous
outlay, when the personnel of the serv-
ices can be reduced If necessary in few
Years by emitting to make new appoint
ments as the natural wastage by death
and retirement occurs.
This process of reduction has already
begun in the case of the police, although
this is one of the reserved services
which will not be handed over to the
irish government for some years. 1t is
recognized that the force even now is
far stronger than is necessary and that
still fewer police will be needed when
the political and agrarian discomfort in
the country disappears under native
and sympathetic administration. The
English authorities, have, therefore, al
most stopped recruiting for the royal
Irish constabulary and the vacancies
oat.cad nv death and rpfirnmenf are not
being filled.
The utter failure of the agitation
among the postoffice clerks is proved
by what happened this week at the an
nual conference here of the Irish post
office clerks association, which was held
in the Mansion house under the presi-
dency of B. c. Bergin of Dublin.
strong protest against the attempt to
stir up political strife ins the department
was made by Mr.. Bergn in his presiden-
tial address in which he said:
''.rhere may be some among us who
from the point of view of their beliefs,
view with favor or otherwise the transfer
government. think the vast majority
CT the service, realize their responsible
ties as public servants, and look on the
transfer from a purely business point of
view.
"They realize the right of the impe-
rial parliament 10 ifailSlef lHtif SeiN-
ices subject TO adequate safeguards, TO
a subordinate assembly and they are pre-
pared to give their services in the fu-
ture as Loyalty and efficiently as they
have done in the past.
"rhe man who thinks that under the
proposed change life in the postofiice
will be a bed of roses. or the men who
on the other hand believe that under
such circumstances their prospects will
he irretrieVably ruined are living In
dreamland, and are not facing the ac-
tual realities of the situation. Our pros
pects and conditions of service in the
future will depend not on whether our
postmaster general resides in St Martins
lie Grand, London, or in Princes street
Dublin but on the strength and Vi
taiity of our association"
Mr.. Bergin also made warm protest
against another feature of the unionist
agitation. This is the circulation of leaf
lets warning the public that under home
rule their deposits in the postoffice sae-
ings banks would not be safe. that the
amount of their savings would be made
known to the politicians, and other per-
sons in their districts, and that the per-