CIVIL SERVANTS AND POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 22, 21 October 1907, Page 9

CIVIL SERVANTS AND POLITICS.

, ■■ ■' - — 4 , ■-^: i :'-. - Mil. iUGG'S VIEWS OP THE REGULA- .; tions. , ■ .^ ; «■.■.-;■ - The trouble between Mr. J. A. M'Culiqugh and the Government engaged the.', atfeiitiqii" of tliu Hon. .J. lMgg for a little >.;iiilq,'',at tho dinner of tho Wellington : Lettei'press. I'rintora' Machinists' Union oni .Saturday night., Air. M'Culloiigli; lie said,,'.',Jjacl iboon dismissed from his employment hecausb'Jje took part in polities, and ho was v'ory , sorry, because he knew Mr. M'G'ullough,to, r bp.onq, of tho whitest of men, and a sincereand.', (disinterested aflvoeato of the Labour cinise!' Ho did .not think , Mr. .M'Cullpiii;h." ! could havo receded from tho position ho; ijppk ! lip' without losing his self-respect.- In the'circumstances, he was bound to offer 'liinTseif as a sacrifice. That might happen to any of those .present/ There might be'reasbiis-wliy men in high , positions/in tho Civil Service',' and in receipt of important and confidoritia' information shbuld not bo allowed to go upon a political, platform and mako useof,that information; but ho could not scoS.aily-'iOuV joction to a mechanic having the ''very , .freest; and fullest political rights. They:.,talked about the seriousness of violating >a ■ rognla l ' tion, but ,i regulation-was mado by".the<Gov-: ornmont of .tho day, and could be altefediby any Govornment of the day without '.trouble':! It would not require an Act of Parliament to do that. It was a tinpot affair that could bo dismissed without a moment's.hesitation; and would bo if it. suited thoso in, authority to repeal it. Ho had no respect for rcgula-., tions of any kind that wero bad; they should be abolished. Any regulation that retarded a man's freedom of action was against'- the best British traditions. Ho advised thorn to' approach the Government and say that.''regulations of that kind should bo repealed.:' , .. ■ "As a pivil Servant there is [a;dar|i shadow hanging pvpr mo at a.dinn.orjoft.th'is naturo—tho Jshadow of M'Cullough'," : ".said Air, Tregear, Secretary for Labour," as,bo rose with humorous diiridenco to respond "to' a toast. "Ifc makes onu careful, and. I sliall; not touch on politics at all, as applied to this country. If 1 touch on politics at all, it will bo world-pqlitics, not Now ZeaTusiid,-' , ' and lie was very careful not to wander -into the forbidden realms. ■' ■ ■•;■ 1 -;i-'. , [i)Y TuuiGitArn.—riiiss assooiation."],. l .' Christchurch, October ''26Zr,; Mr. J. A. M'Cullongh addressed .'his'first public meeting cince his suspension from tho railway service. About 500 were , preseni,and MY. M'Culloiigh spoke for aboiit nn hour. Ho strongly urged emancipation of. all civil servants Iron; therestrictjons placed on them, by the existing regulation under which ho had been dismissed. Ho did not want; tlij. , sympath of the public for himself, L bui; wanted them to assist in freeing 20)000 plililic servants, who, under the present conditions, wore only.serfs. Ho had been offered a job by a private employer which would bring in more than he was receiving, I'roin tho railway. He moved a motion simib.r in effect to the one which led to his suspension, and it was carried. The speaker was frequently, op;, plaudcd, but the proceedings were orderly. ''