The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, APRIL 11th, 1922. THE PUCLIC SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 11 April 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian TUESDAY, APRIL 11th, 1922. THE PUCLIC SERVICE

Thk action of the Post and Telegraph Officials' Association in deciding in 1 favour of affiliation Fitli t!w Alliance

of Labor, draws pointed attention to

the general condition of the publii service. ' The public service from u clepartmeni.nl point of view is a very important part of the public administration. Its mimoiienl strength and cost are specially impressive from a taxpayers’ point of view, and the following comparative Bible over three years will ilo (louht surprise most people by ho volume of the figures:— Year 1919-20 Staff. 16,333; salaries £3.159.714.

Year 1920-21 Staff, 16,428; salaries £4,871,265. Year 1921-22 - Staff 10.908; salaries £4,260,554.

These figures will impress readers with the costly army the public service involves. Of the branches, the Post and Telograph is the greatest, having a staff of 7,660 (ns against 7360 in 1919-20), end a salary list of £1.636,825 (as against £1,114,1.46 in 1919-20). The Post and Telegraph branch being the major section of the ptildie Service, it follows if it is good for tlie branch to ally itself with militant Labor, other branches would be disposed to do likewise. In that way the absolute control of the public service would pass out of the legitimate control of the Government, and we would have a state of affairs lending up to absolute chaos, Whatever attitude the Govel'lline.iit assumes now towards the Post and Telegraph Association, and the action being taken, must apply also to all branches of the public service. It Would he well, therefore if n definite pronouncement were made, and ultimately definite legislation passed to secure the integrity of the ptibiie service heyriad all tjUeStioll. The ehhditiehs raised in the present instance should awaken tlie mihd of the Government, ns well as the public, to the possibilities in the future if the control of the public service is not kept absolutely within the control of the government d' the day. This is not a party question. It is a question of national safely, for it is essential to safeguard the public service so that it will he used only for the public weal and not agfliiist it. The public service must remain independent of any class organisation. An organisation within itself for its own betterment in a reasonable way is not objectionable, but .anything beyond that should not be tolerated. There is no desire on our part to make a scapegoat- of the Postal Association. It lias been led to the -present impasse by the vigor of its organisation, and the passiveness of the Government which was assumed to lie a sign of weakness and a lack of courage to grapple with the entwining octopus. Hut it is the. Association rather than the Government which is now in th<> toils. Mr Coates’ definite stand on the gre-'t issue of the occasion, puts the Association on the offensive if it is going to carry through its desire to rtssoc-iat-' with the Labour Alliance. That move will be the signal for drastic action on the part of the Government, which if it is true to its trust from the people lilust stick to its guns and perform what Mr Coates has threatened. It wants to he made clear that the gate of the Postal Association iii this matter will be the gate of any Other branch of the public service if it goes beyond its own organisation in its efforts to force from the Government what the party iii power as the custodian for the people as a whole, deem it improper to grant.