THE M'CULLOUGH CASE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2201, 3 October 1907, Page 3

THE M'CULLOUGH CASE.

MR. BARCLAY’S BILL,

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER

SOME STRONG SPEECHES

Special to Times,

■WELLINGTON, Oct. 2. Tho question of tho introduction of Mr. Barclay’s Public Services -Reform Bill occupied tho attention ot tho Houso this afternoon. MR. BARCLAY’S SPEECH.

Mr Barclay explained that his Bill was introduced becauso of tho recent suspension of Mr. McCullough. Ho said tho action of tho Government was of a satisfactory character ill most rospccts, but thero wero some points which required elucidation, and something was to bo said on tho methods of tho Government quito apart from their individual action. Mr. Barclay stated the facts regarding Mr McCullough’s suspension from liis point of view on tho lines of tho statement telegraphed to your paper on Sunday evening last. Mr. Barclay still held that the Premier was under a misapprehension when lio stated that Mr. McCullough had been suspended under a regulation that had been in forco for tho last 25 years. Tho only regulation boaring on noninterference in politics was tho ono gazetted in April. 1907, and Mr. McCullough ho hold could not, as a workman in tho shops, bo regarded as an offender under that regulation. Such workmen wero by the regulations specially exempted. Tho rules were intended almost wholly to apply to the traffic department. In connection with such incidents, it should be remembered that these men were not the servants of tho Government but of tho country, consequently they wero not speaking against their employers. In any case tlio supposed regulation was a dead letter, and should bo abolished altogether. He mentioned the case of Mr. Speight, manager of tho Government Life Insurance Department in Auckland, whoso portrait recently ' appeared in one of tho newspapers as that of “A leading poetical ami temperanco leader.”

Hon. members: Which Speight?Mr. Thos. Mackenzie: He makes tho best beer in New Zealand. (Laughter.) Mr. Barclay said that in this country where we boasted of freedom, it ill becamo us to apply tho gag and endeavor to render dumb men whose characters wero of the highest. He declared emphatically that the name of the original accuser should be made known. Who was it who had accused Mr. McCullough? The Premier: It is an official report. Mr. Barclay: But let us have the name of the man who wrote the letter complaining.

VICTIM OF SYSTEMATIC PERSE

CUTION,

Mr. Hornsby said that for some time past Mr. McCullough had been under, the ban of his immediate superior officers. They had threatened him in a manner that would irk any man who loved his manhood. Shortly after an article on locomotive No. 7 appeared in tho ‘’Railway Review.” Mr. McCullough was one of the two men who were “carpeted” on the subject in connection with the authorship of tho article. Ho denied the authorship, and as a matter of fact Mr. McCullough had no more to do with that article than had the speaker. It camo from a man outside the railway service. After that a circular signed by Mr. Ronayne was issued prohibiting members of the service from writing for payment in newspapers and magazines. That was aimed at Mr. McCullough, because he had been contributing articles to Christchurch Truth. Mr. McCullough had to stop those articles, because the paper saw there was trouble in store for him, and so decided to discontinue them, but while Mr. McCullough had to discontinue his articles, that clever writer Jeffries went on contributing articles to the Bulletin for payment. Mr. McCullough was stopped, but _ Jeffries was not. In this case some informer had come forward, and he with Mr. Barclay should like to know who the informer was. He added that he had every reason to believe that after this year was ended Mr. McCullough in all human probability would not be a member of the railv%y service. Ho had reason to believe that there was awaiting him at the hands of the labor unions of this country a great distinction so that he would have no need of pity nor assistance from a department of which he had been such a faithful servant. In a country where we talked so much about democracy he held that it was deplorable that a regulation should exist taking away from a man his fulJ rights of citizenship. . Finally, he said there was seething discontent in the Addington workshops because of the man who was in authority there. He made the lives of the workmen a misery to them, and he urged the Government to find some other place for that gentleman. Tb r sooner some alteration was made the better it would be for the railway service of the colony.

THE PREMIER’S SPEECH The Premier said it was very much to be regretted that before the Government had finally dealt with Mr. McCullough’s case they should have had inflammatory speeches on the subject. Ho would say without reservation tbit the people of New Zealand were not going to allow, at the institution of any member of the House, the members of the Public Service to rule New Zealand. (Hear, hear.) The Government was dealing with the matter dispassionately ami impartially, and it was not going to bend its knees to any pressure brought to bear from outside sources through the medium of members of the House. Mr. Hornsby: There was no pressure on my part. Sir Joseph Ward said it -was a great pity members of the House should endeavor to inflame members of the Public Service. Whilst he did not despTso the good opinions of every class of the peoplo in the country, he would not allow such abuse to deter him from doing what he believed to be right. That day the Cabinet had had an opportunity for the first time of hearing what Mr. McCullough himself had to say in connection with the matter, and yet beforo tho House knew what the decision of tho Government would be; they had tho matter introduced m the House. The two members who had spoken were not acting the parti of friends of tho railway servants in the action they were taking. Keforring to what hid been said regarding tho contribution, ot newspaper articles, tho Premier said 1 had been decided some time ago that a person in Government employ should not, by taking outside work, compete with private.individuals who had to earn their living. Mr. Hornshy: Tako tho caso of your own Hansard staff.. I Sir J. Ward: In their caso the. terms of their appointment permit them to do certain things during the recess Mr. Barclay had. said that the regulation had come into force for the first time in April list, hut m a matter of fact it had existed since 1873. In his own case,, when a member of the railway S6 £™®’ had had to decido whothei ho would resign that position or a ™ a Borough Council, which ho held a thesimo time. It was assumed that the Government were actuated by personal motives because Mr. ire Cullough was connected with laborbut this was not so, and it was not from any outside pressure, nor from any other cause, except that a breach of the regulations had beeai committed that ho had been suspended. Referring to Australia, tho Premier s? sya§* suss vW the Premier* had' spect had been recorded against him in Mr° Hornsby: But he didn’t got pr Tho t Pr n e'mier said ’ the Government woro tho custodians- of tho public in etiitutions of the colony, mto contact with which cotuo peoplo of ovei.

shade of political opinion. What was right for one branch of .tho service in this rospoct* whs ulso riKlit lor ft 11• 110 admitted that men had every right inside their union to do what was best for their follow-workmen, ■ but tho regulation must bo obeyed outside of that. Because Mr. McCullough was a labor loader it would not deter the Government from doing their duty. They would liavo dealt with any of tho heads of departments f in tho same wiry, and in tho event of any trouble arising in that direction i the first to ask tho Government to take action would ho the workers, and they would bo proteoted. The Premier then referred to the cases of l Messrs. Lloyd. D. P. Fisher, MeCur- ' dy, and others, who had to resign 1 from Government departments or cease pnblio action in political matters. Several cases had also ocourrod in other departments which had not been made public, hut whore the results had been the same. EX-PUBLIC SERVANT’S VIEWS. Air. Hogan said the Government hid interpreted tho regulations as they found them, and it was quite right that they should do so. When lie decided to stand for Parliament ho was called upon to resign from the railway service, and did so. His case was a parallel one to Mr. McCullough's, but the press did not toko it up. Neither did the unions pass resolutions condemning tho Administration of the Right Hon. Air. Seddon beeauso of tho action taken. Tliero wore many other cases of which no notice was taken. Ho knew of a oiso in which a man getting 7s per clay, and who had a family to support, was prevented from earning an occasional half-guinea by playing tho piano at dances. CLEAN SWEEP WANTED. Air. Wilford said ho would like to seo all civil and political disabilities I done away with. GOVERNMENT ACTION SUPPORTED. Mr. Hardy complimented tho Government on tho action they had taken in Air. AlcCullougli’s case. He know of political interference at elections on the part of Government employees in liis own electorate, in Christchurch, in Ellesmere, and in Courtenay and other electorates. TWO AIILD DISSENTERS. Alessrs. Ell and Alalcolm said they would like to see disabilities regarding politics removed. A PIECE OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. Air. Okey said Civil Servants had taken a prominent part in canvassing for the Government candidate in the last New Plymouth election, and no action had been taken in their case. PARTY POLITICS OBJECTED TO. Air. Poole objected to men in tho payment of tho State working for any party, but thought they should not bo under political disabilities. AIR. AIASSEY SUPPORTS THE REGULATION.

Mr. Massey said ho believed Mr. McCullough was in every way a man without reproach, but that was not the question. The quostiou was whether State employees should take an active and a leading part in politics. Ho thought hey should not. They had their privileges in regard to voting, etc., but they also had their responsibilities. If State servants wero to bo allowed to take a prominent part in politics wo in this country might come to the same pass as they had reached in tho United States, where, when an Administration went out of office, all tho officials went out with them. Ho sincerely hoped that nothing liko that would over tako place in New Zealand. Ho hoped tho Government would succeed in framing a regulation that, while it did not press harshly upon tho public ' service, would give swift action to the public also.

SUPPORT PROM MR. FISHER. Mr. Fisher uphold tho action of the Government. Unless they had somo. check they might find the Secretary of tho Post Office contesting a seat with tho Postmaster-General and using official correspondence against him. That would scarcely lead to harmony in the working of tho public sorvice. He himself had written on a previous occasion stating that Mr. McCullough was contravening tho regulations. MORE STRONG ALLEGATIONS. Mr. Alison expressed apj>rqval of tho Premier’s remarks, and said that

if tho Government’s servants _ wore allowed to become labor agitators they* 1 would rule the country. In his awn case he had had Government servants working against him at elecdon times, and ho knew of them ba:ng instructed by telegram to do_ all they could to prevent his election. There were too many electioneering speeches in the house. Mr. Hornsby: The people will be our judges. . . Mr. Mander said that during Ins election there wero paid employees of the Government canvassing against him from one end of tho district to the other. After a few words from the Hon. Air. Duncan and Mr. Hogg, the debate was interrupted by the dinner adjournment.