DISSERVICE TO SERVICE

Chronicle (Levin), 15 November 1946, Page 5

DISSERVICE TO SERVICE

-Press Association

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, Nov. 14. That "tlie whole business savours of political wlieedling, " was one of the comments of Mr. B. L. Dullard when comnieiiting on the public service and politics . controversy. Mr. Dallard is president of tlie Civil .Service Institnte which represents the senior officers of all State services. The full' lext of his remarks was : — "So far as the vlnstitute is concerned, it is contTary to very long established tradition for it to obtrude in party politics but 1 can say, as a niieniber of the Public Service Association, that the great body of.loyal public servants wFll greatly deplore the intrusion into the political arena by two execlitive officers of the Association. At the present time any attempt to involve civil servanis as a. class, 1 think not only violates the cardiiTal rulc that civil servants generaily should keep clear of party politics* but it also offcnds the l'celings of a large body of i'aithful and sober-minded public servants who niust surely resent this attempt to use them as political catsjMaws or for the purpose oi' any political stunt. The general desire for aloofness from politics was made manifestly clear some short time back by the way in wliieh the more stable element of the public sei'vice rose up and outvoted a subtle manoeuvre that was then made to link up the 'association with the Fedcration of Labour. IMessrs Lewin and Turnliull will do well, 1 suggest, to realise, as do tlie more _ experienced 'officers wlio have helped to Iniild a tradition of which the service can be proud, that they do the service a grave disserviee in the long run by attempting to effect a political line-up of the service at the present time, as nltimately tliere would be deep public resentment on all sides. It would be felt that the servant would become master. The whole business to my miud savors of political wheedling. No- public servant' who is doing a useful job fcars retrenehment. The association has always stood four-sqiuire for efficiency and this does not tit in with the retention of a redundant staff!. " LTlie refereuce is to tlie deinand by Messrs Lewin aml Turnbull for a public retraclion of a statement attrllmted to Mr. E. B. Corbett, M.l'., tliat thcre were tens of thousands of civil servants wlio could be done without and would be absorbed in productive eiiiployiuent.]