EMPHATIC PROTESTS

Chronicle (Levin), 31 October 1946, Page 6

EMPHATIC PROTESTS

-Press Assoeiation

Government Promises to R.S.A. Ignored

By Telegraph-

. WELLINGTON, Dct. 30. At a s.peeial meet&ig of tlie Domiiiicm executive comniittee of the N.Z.RJ3A. it was unauimously decided; Ro mahe further eniphatic protests coiieeraiiig the aoa-Eeeoguftioit by the GoivernmeiU. of the pi'Ln'eiple of prefer.ea.ee to returiied servieemen wlien appoiatmeats to the mew Public fcjerviee Coamiissiojo, .were being made. The executive, in a statemeat, says: " Apart altogether from the fact that the prineiple of preference has been sidestepped, it is felt by the R.S-A. that ■with the impoi'tant question of regrad Lng within the Public Service as oue of •the main tasks conf ronting the new Gommission, it was vital in the interests- of aU ex-servicemeii withih the service, that at least oue of the Commissioii should be a returned servicemau who would have a sympathetic understanding of their claims. Ministers of the Crown were ready enough fo claim from the hastings what they were do- • ing for returned servieemen, yet when the opportunity presented itself to do something effeetive in the interests of L'eturned men, they were conveniently forgotten.

"Addressing the R.S.A. annual Domjnion , conf eren.ce, the Prime Minister said 'We are coming into eontact, and indeed in some tfases will eome into eonfiict with certaiu prejudlces and rights that liave been established over the years but I llrmly believe that the most important thing of ail is to see that his country recognises the services given by returned men, to see that regardless of cerfain principles, prejudices and vested rights and interests, the claims of returned men are adequately safeguarded, and if the choice is between setting aside even eherished vested rights and the adequate recognition of . the rights of our boys, then tliose vested rights and interests must be set sot aside.' "Evidentally, " says the executive, "what appJies to what the Prime Minister terins 'vested interests, does not apply to the Governinent and in the case of appointments to the Public Service Coinmission, the Government has blatantly ignored the prineiple of preference to returned men despite the fact that. early representations had been made by the N.Z.R.S.A. in the matter. " As no reply had been made to the assoeiation 's protest, nor has any attempt been made to explam w:hy returned servieemen within the Public Service had been entirely disregarded, an urgent request has been made to the Prime Minister askiug the Government | to reconsider the appointments made I and to give earnest consideration to tlie setection of at Jeast oue of the highranking departmental ofiieers wrho answered the nation 's call in time of war and who still loyally serves the Domin roa in peacetime. "In his opening address of the elcction campaign in Auckland, the Prime Minister emphasised the splendid cooperation the Government had received from the N.Z. R.S.A. which is true' but at that time be must have known that on a vital issue affc'eeting the interests. of returned servieemen, on which the assoeiation had made urgent representations to him, the wishes of the R.S.A. had been ignored. The R.S.A. is determined.in its intention to leave no stone unturned in its eft'orts to ensure that the claims anu rights of returned servieemen in the Public Service are adequateJv safeguarded when regrading is being carried out. "