Public Service Association

Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1922, Page 2

Public Service Association

ATTITUDE OF POLICE. WELLINGTON, Feb. 1 With reference to -Press statements regarding the relationship of police officers with the Public Service Association, Mr F. J. Miller, general secretary of the Association, sasy no resignations from the three police officers on the executive committee of the Association have been received. The Association lias no advice that the police officers desire to secede from the Public Seivice Association. He understands, however, that a certain amount of feeling was created amongst the police staff ■.vlien they discovered that they were to suffer decreases in salary in common v, ith all other public servants. The police representatives were verbally informed that the Association could not very ujell move to have them excluded, as when the Association secured increases in salary from April, 1920, it was a distinct part of the understanding with the Government that the police officers were to stand or fall with the general public service in the matter of the cost of living salary increases or decreases. It is now reported that at a meeting of 50 Wellington police officers it was suggested they should withdraw from the Public Service Association because extreme action was alleged to have been advocated by some Civil servants id the Dominion, and in the same breath opposing any reduction whatever in their salaries, m Sq. far as the Association is concerned, it must promptly repudiate even an inference that extreme action has been thought of, much less expressed. Mr -Millar already has, on behalf of the Association, irtated through the Press exactly where the public servants stand in regard to salary reductions. Strictly constitutional action always has been its policy'; and there is no indication that it will depart from it. So far as the police are concerned, Mr Miller says they became members of the Association when they were refused by the authorities the right to form an association of their own two or three years ago. Mr T. M. Wi - ford, then Minister in charge of the police, permitted the police officers to vote by ballot on the question as to whether they should have a separate Police Association or remain members of'the Public Service Association, with a result that, by 677 votes to 87, they decided to remain members of the Association. The police have, however, always had it made clear to them that if they considered at any time that their interests would be better served by an independent organisation, consisting solely of police officers, the Association bad no objection; in fact, l would help them to get it. The decision to form a separate Police Association cannot, however, be come to by 50 Wellington police officers, who can only speak for the local branch of the Association.