THE CIVIL SERVICE.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 February 1922, Page 4

THE CIVIL SERVICE.

(Jjr ; ercaptile (gazette.) According to a ? n the Rouse the otter day by ,the Prime Minister, there are ,58,000 persons employed by the Government—rather more "'than tin 20 of "the total population. During the war years as the cost of Lying increased these have all received accretions by. way of bonus amounting in all to four millions five hun- ! d{red tjiouisandi poupds per to ■ compensate them for the extra cost i of living bought about by the war. j The financial position of the country is i such that the Government ia now forct ed to make retrenchments, and unless i they mean to maintain the present dei vastating taxation which is spelling blue j ruin to everyone, the economies whit ; the Government now contemplate are ; trifling to what must come later to j prevent default in London, i '' Mr Massey has recognised that no \ one likes to .be called upop to hsve i his wages or salary lowered, but force i of circumstances has compelled him to j intimate that at least a portion of the j bonus which the Covil Servants have re- ! ceived must soon be discontinued. Ne- | cessity knows no law and the Govern- | ment neither has nor will have the ! money to pay the bonus, and it must i go. We think the Premier has shown | the utmost consideration to those who • will be affected. He asks that they ■! will relinquish only a portion of the ; second bonus paid to them and this by ; instalments only. Very few men in | his position would have dealt with the question so tactfully, or have taken such pains to perform an unplen- ' sant duty so sympathetically, , The Givi] Service if one can judge from the very wild statements which have been made by those who repre- ! sent its members, have declined to re- ! cognise the reasons which have necessi- ! tated the action taken by Mr Massey; ! they have indulged in intemperate lani guage and have even uttered a veiled • threat that they will place themselves I under the protection of the Alliance !of Labour. If they should decide to i ally themselves with that august body, : they think perhaps that Mr Massey will , alter his intentions and on the Red Fed ■ maindate continue payment dfi ‘the ; bonus. j But assuming that they brought j against Mr Massey the full battalions J of organised labour, how will that lasi sist them? The trouble is that tho j Treasury is getting empty and the Ali liatice of Labour must find the cash, or i show from what source it is to come, j should they wish to render any effective help. It is of little value extracti :ing under pressure, from a private | employer, an undertaking to pay every j one of his workmen five pounds per ] week, if he has no means from which j lie can give them more than three. The 1 Labour idea is to always remedy hardj ship by taking something away from ; those who have. That is the base from j which all Labour extremists start, and j as it is in their eyes an offence for ( anyone to possess anything more than j they have themelves, their cure for ' all for every economic sore, is simply a j policy of grab. I The Civil Service comprises sections j of men who we think will agree that the ] Government has no alternative but j to reduce expenditure, and that the I four million five hundred thousand per year paid in bonuses must be the first item which should bear pruning. To the militant class who are suggesting that the money necessary to pay them must be found by adding in some way to the load of taxation at present piled upon the Dominion if that were possible, we suggest that diminution of wage is better than none at all. Their cause would be badly served by any act on their part which woidd not only bring them into * conflict with their employer, tho State, but which would alienate from them the sympathy of the public. We would also point out that should they take up a position of open hostility, they will be surprised at the comparatively few men who could c arry on the business of the Civil Service, perhaps not so efficiently, but quite well enough in these times if those men in office were unwise enough to throw down their pens.