LABOUR AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 133, 2 December 1929, Page 10

LABOUR AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Mr. Holland's suggestion that the Public, servants should support the party that * prepared, to offer them the greates. inducement is a most pernicious one to say the least of it, and immediate steps should be taken to prevent such an abuse of political rights being carried out tI -d\v meni? ce t0 B°od Government Xhe Pubic Service has had far too mu-h power all along, but now that it is bein~ urged to abuse it by way qf a bribe to vote for a certain party, it is high time steps were .taken to curtail it a bit otherwise the tail will be wagging the dog. This can be done by giving all Public servants and Government employees special representation in Parliament, mere are, I understand, between fifty and sixty thousand employed by the State; give them, say, six representatives to represent them in Parliament, who would be elected solely by them, and who would have the same rights and power in Parliament as any other representatives of other electors, but with one. exception and upon this hinges the whole secret of tue suggestion, when a vote is taken on a no-confidence motion that if carried would niean turning the Government out ■ of office, they would not be allowed to vote on it. It would be absolutely wrong in principle that employees should have the power to turn their employers out of omce, or hold a sword over their heads by way of a threat to do so if not given all they ask for, any more than it would be for the employees of a company to be able to vote out the directors because they would not grant them everything they demanded. If it is right in one instance, it should be in the other.

Naturally some will argue that it -would (36 grossly unjust to do as suggested, but it is nothing of the sort, as there are thousands who are only too willing to forego all claims to enfranchisement if given a Government job. It is only the militant unionist that makes all the fuss about political rights that are not valued by the genuine worker, who is not looking forward to making a living out of politics. I reergt that I am not able to do justice to this subject, and trust that some more capable writers will take it up.— l am, etc., REASON. Waitara, 30th November. (To the Editor.) Sir,—The question of restoration of the Civil Service cuts seems to be developing into a wangle where clear vision is obscured in an effort to make political capital. On examining the facts we find that no political leader has definitely indicated an intention of completely restoring the cuts, and rightly so. The number- of Civil servants in this country is appalling, and what is wanted is a Government sufficiently strong to cut down this.great army of dependents on the public purse. The ratio of Civil servants in this country is—if we take into consideration municipal and local bodies' employees—one Civil servant to every three breadwinners in other spheres! This is a staggering condition of affairs. Why should the Government be intimidated by the Post and Telegraph Association? While there are undoubted grievances to adjust, it is well to take into consideration that members of the P. and T. Service have never known what it is to be out of work. Slack times are the same as busy times to them, for there is always a full pay at the end of the month. Sir Joseph Ward has done more for the Civil servant than any other statesman, but he cannot make bricks without straw. While the finances of the country are in such a parlous condition Civil servants should be prepared to make sacrifices as other citizens are doing. I repeat, Sir, with all the emphasis at my command, that we need to clean up the Civil Service-by vigorous retrenchment.—l am, etc., CIVIS.