1378 



Canadian Forestry Journal, November, 1917 



Such a responsibility as devolves upon 

 the Dominion Forestry Branch and 

 other technical services ought to be 

 freed with minimum delay from the 

 blight of the patronage business. If 

 there is to be any gradual introduc- 

 tion of the Civil Service merit plan 

 into the "outside services," the tech- 

 nical departments which suffer most 

 gravely are due for prompt action." 



"An Insufferable Nuisance" 

 "Patronage committees," said To- 

 ronto Saturday Night, "have become 

 an insufferable nuisance to the Civil 

 Service itself, particularly in tech- 

 nical branches like the Forestry De- 

 partment. The scientific heads of 

 such departments could not make 

 suitable appointments of men with 

 technical knowledge without being 

 impeded by the threats and im- 

 portunities of patronage committees 

 whose members knew nothing or 

 cared nothing about the duties to 

 be performed." 



A Proper Beginning 



"The Forestry Branch," comments 

 the Independent Hamilton Herald, 

 "has not been a solitary sufferer. 

 The patronage blight has fallen upon 

 every department of the public ser- 

 vice. But the Forestry Association 

 is right in holding that the merit 

 system should begin in the service 

 where special technical knowledge is 

 necessary to efficient work." 



Says the Halifax Chronicle: — 

 "What is true of the Forestry 

 Branch is true, in greater or less 

 measure, of all departments of the 

 Administration, and it is to be hoped 

 that the Government will lose no 

 time in putting its declared policy 

 into operation, not only as regards 

 appointments but all business of the 

 several departments." 



"A Brake on Progress" 



"The ramifications of the patron- 

 age system are endless; they reach 

 into depths that are unfathomable," 

 argues the Ottawa Evening Journal. 

 "The patronage system has been a 

 brake upon political and economic 

 progress, and has been responsible 

 for more evils than the ordinary man 



can begin to appreciate." 



Then speaking of the Forestry 

 Association's assertion regarding in- 

 terference with technical positions, 

 the Journal adds: — 



"Was there ever anything more 

 absurd than the application of the 

 patronage system to the selection and 

 appointment of technical officers in 

 the public service?" 



Sir Robert's Manifesto 

 The Union Government's assurance 

 of future national immunity from 

 the contagion of the patronage pot 

 has been set down not only in very 

 definite terms but by most practical 

 action. Sir Robert Borden's second 

 manifesto contains this statement: — 

 "The system of patronage in the 

 distribution of contracts and office 

 which has prevailed in Canada for 

 generations has been the root of 

 many political evils. But inveterate 

 diseases succumb only to heroic treat- 

 ment — and heroism has not dis- 

 tinguished Canadian parties in deal- 

 ing with patronage. Hence the res- 

 olution to abolish trading in patron- 

 age, to fill public office by merit and 

 not by favoritism, and to establish 

 honest and open competition in 

 awarding contracts and buving sup- 

 plies." 



Mr. Crerar's View 



Hon. T. A. Crerar likewise com- 

 mits himself to the policy of Civil 

 Service Reform in these words: — 



"I am glad to say that one of the 

 most important announcements in 

 the statement of the new administra- 

 tion is that paragraph dealing with 

 the patronage evil in Canada. 



"The sole basis upon which people 

 should be brought into the public 

 service is their fitness for the posi- 

 tion." 



"We Mean Business" 



Hon. J. A. Calders pronounce- 

 ment, no less emxphatic, is reported 

 in the Winnipeg Tribune as follows: 



"We believe that the time has 

 come when an honest and sincere 

 effort should be made to improve the 

 civil service in Canada. Our civil 

 service should be taken out of party 



