POLITICAL PARTIES

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 135, 4 December 1929, Page 9

POLITICAL PARTIES

CIVIL SERVANTS' SALARIES

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —Your correspondence columns ia. this evening's issue of your paper contain extensive references to the question of Civil servants' salaries, and the alleged intention of Civil servants to take an active partisan attitude in politics is advanced to the stage of being an established policy which should be surpressed or rendered ineffective by the application of various sug. gested measures.

In thanking you, Mr. Editor, for the space and prompt publication you cave my previous letter of the 2Gth ultimo.' oil this subject, I must express regret that your correspondents, "Reason" and 'Civis," choose to ignore my statement of the official policy of the Post and Telegraph Employees' Association concerning participation in party politics. • " v '

May I recapitulate to the extent of emphasising that "Post and Telegraph employees prefer to keep party politics outside the sphere of thei? asfockUon!' and to promote amiable arbitrating functions with the Administrators of you [hat 6 * fair* V^ aBSUre stability O f conditions 31'^ & LJ forefr™* of my organisations programme, and, instead of sup. ■ porting any partisan attitude in politics our objective is to get Parliament to .establish the principles of arbitration, into the assessment of remuneration and determination of conditions in the Post j and Telegraph service. Are the newspapers aud the public prepared to assist us in attaining this objective?" | Had your correspondent "Civis" particularly, accepted the truth of this statement he would have had no founda- & \ t SkJ" g-: "Wh >* should th° Got-' TpTct,- he . lntlm. ldated by the Post and lelegraph Associations?" I In answer to questions put to them at the General Elections, a big majority of the present Government's party•■ members signified their willingness t£ support legislation for the introduction of the principles of arbitration into' the Post and Telegraph Service. The ■Beform Government had just previously assembled an industrial conference to promote the conciliation, arbitration and get-together" principles betweeu commercial and industrial employers and employed. The Labour Party endorses the same principles in its policy so, with the State in the role of employer, why should its advocacy to the private employer not be made obligatory on itself?

on the salary question a big majority of all members had personally given promises to support legislation to give increases, particularly tor the lower grades, tvo of the present party leaders had promised to move in. that direction, and the Prime Minister (bir Joseph Ward) had replied to a deputation that he appreciated the -justification of the claims made and the soundness of the arguments used- in. support of them, and that something would have to be done. What "Civis" may not recollect in regard to the present Government's past attitude on the salary question, as indicated by a majority of present members when they were in Opposition, is that in 1924 whea the previous quinquennial review of salarias was duo under the provisions of the Post and Telegraph Act, Mr. Wilford moved | a motion to increase salaries ■ that had the support of Messrs. Atmore, de la Perello, Forbes, Ngata, Kansom, Sidey and Veitch, eight of the present Ministry of twelve, besides others who are again in the rank and file of the party. Also, while Sir Joseph Ward was not m Parliament in 1924, he was instrumental in passing the amending legislation in 1918 that removed the Post and Telegraph Service from the Public Service Act, 1912, and the Commissioner control thereunder, in favour of special classification, and periodic review of salaries to suit the particular conditions of that service.

How then, in asking the Government to be consistent with its own provisions and past actions in Opposition, can the Post ajid Telegraph Association, be accused by "Civis" of intimidating the Government* "Civis" admits that there are undoubted grievances to adjust in the P. and T. Service, but he then proceeds on the specific to the general in his criticism and condemnation, of the Civil Service as a whole, and advocates drastic retrenchment with, "all the emphasis at his command."

Although I cannot presume on your space to answer "Civis" at length, let me assure him, and all those who think as intolerantly as he does of Civil servants, that Post and Telegraph employees will be undismayed by such, outbursts based on false premises; but. to the average fair-minded'members of the community I say unhesitatingly;that Post and Telegraph employees render loyal and indiscriminate service to the community as a whole, and they; have a right to expect that when remuneration for those services is being assessed it should be done by Parliament free 6f party interests, or else entirely removed from Parliamentary: determination. The first condition, had its precedent and example in the party, truce during the National Govern--ment's regime in 1918, and the latter must come by the supersession of' right and justice should.the economic, conditions of Civil servants continue much longer to be the shuttlecock of political expediency.—l am, etc., J. H. M'KBNZIE, Secretary, Post and Telegraph Employ, oes' Association, .. 2nd December.