Pen-Pricks

  • Published on November 26, 1909
  • By Staff Reporter
  • 195 Views
This article / write-up appeared in Svadesabhimani. Svadesabhimani.com has not made any changes.

                                               ( By Criticus )

             Dear Mr. Editor, kindly convey to Mr. Jaragopal my grateful thanks for his lucid explanation of the Law of heredity referred to in one of my pricks.   I wish I had his extensive experience and his ample opportunities for observing men and women.

            Rumour is strong that the Dewan is intent upon reform in the Secretariat. If reform means a reduction of the clerical establishment with a nominal increase to their starvation allowance, one would rather wish for abstinence from such a reform. The Revenue  Reform in the Divisions has created a good deal of hardship to and discontent among the public and the unfortunate men who have taken to public service. The work till now attended to by three or four men is now entrusted to one man. It seems to have been ignored that a day for all men, irrespective of official position, means only twenty four hours, and that men's constitutions are not made of iron but of human blood, flesh and bones. The poor clerk has as such a right to live as any high paid, easy going signing machine. The climatic and other conditions of Travancore enervate a man to an appreciable degree European authorities have borne testimony to the fact that an average man in  Travancore cannot work without prejudice to his health for more than seven hours a day. The low paid, over- worked establishment now work at the rate of 14 or 15 hours a day. This will sooner or later tell upon the population of the State.  Now a similar result will follow in the Secretariat if proper caution is not taken.   Another item of reform is reported to be the entertainment of graduates and graduates alone in the sanctum sanctorum. However desirable this be in  theory, it is sheer waste of cultured talent, if graduates should be entertained for the mechanical work of receiving and despatching letters, for docketing  and fair- copying for distributing articles of stationery, for filing and reference taking. Nothing is more preposterous than such a procedure.  Let all the secretaries be graduates before all clerks are to be  graduates.  

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                       What with the Big Boss's vespertine perambulations and nocturnal excursions in the spacious hall of the Central Account and Audit Office, uttering valedictory words of vituperation, or  imprecating anathema or even threatening personal violence. What with the financial Boss's "over strict punctuality, watchful supervision, untiring zeal, unimpeachable integrity and exemplary devotion to duty! "  Systematic swindling has been practised as a fine art under his wonderful personal supervision!    The financial muddle in Travancore is coming to a crisis.  A penetration into the mysteries of that branch of the administration will bring to light revelations more astonishing than have been hitherto found as such.   The  initial blunder that gave rise to the muddle lies in the fact of the unwarranted departure from the time honored custom of the State in appointing in a place of trust and financial responsibility men of genuine worth and proved honesty, men who will be true to the  salt  they eat, and men who have permanent and vested interests in the land.  Sons of the soil who have had a high sense of duty and whose principles of honesty stood the test of generations have till recently filled that position.  Now, we have in their places birds of passage who prosper on the fat of the land and whose sole object is the filling of their nests at any cost and investing their easily earned wealth in distant  Punjas and Nanjas in  Tanjore or Trichinopoly,  Kumbakonam or Mayavaram , Madras or Ganjam. There are ever so many sons of the soil well versed in " the mystery of number " who are in State service , but who cannot or will not burn incense at the feet or pamper to the tastes, of foreigners who sit at the helm of affairs . Who is it that first found out the existence  of the fraud that has been systematically carried on in the Central account and audit office? what is the reward given to this officer?   What is the secret of all the rancour and prejudice against him?   Is it not due to blind caste prejudice, or some other mysterious cause which it would be unworthy of a decent man to state?  All cannot be expected to lose self- respect and satisfy the Boss in all ways.  If the unworthy treatment is due to whim, caprice or mental aberration it is time that he should be brought round to his senses.


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               A man who is unable to properly check accounts in his own office is inspecting the several treasuries in the State!   This is a farce! For imaginary errors or unavoidable delay in submitting financial returns, suspension, degradation and dismissal are generally awarded to other officers,  Some exemplary punishment ---  nothing short of dismissal would be sufficient----  should be inflicted on the officer who either deliberately winked at or tolerated a series of huge frauds to be committed.  The serious attention of H .H . the Maharaja is respectfully invited to the gravity of the situation.  It is unmeaning to expect the Dewan to award  condign punishment to his protege and creature.

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