THE CIVIL SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 9 April 1931, Page 7

THE CIVIL SERVICE

(Auckland “Star”). The proposed reduction in salaries and wages of the Civil Service lias brought to the front again the position of the Civil Service in the political world. It is a question that troubles every country, lor with the extension of State activities membership of the Civil Service grows, until it becomes a body of voters large enough to sway the political fortunes of parties. Every party’s policy is influenced in some degree by thought of the Civil Service vote, and democracy is in real danger of being mis-ruled firstly by the Civil Service in the form of burcaucraek. and then through those bureaucrats operating as voters. At the week-end the Dominion executive of the Post and Telegraph Employees’ Association considered the attitude of the Civil Service to the Finance Bill, and passed a resolution “that an attempt be made ultimately to have a system instituted whereby the determination of public service salaries and conditions should be removed from tbe political arena.” This is an attempt to serve democracy by reducing the risk just referred to. Control hv Public Service Commissioner is an advance, in this direction. It is impossible, however, to devise a scheme that will cover every contingency. Because it provides the money, Parliament, is the ultimate arbiter. Suppose that to-day there was an independent Civil Service Board, and it said that there should he no reduction of wages, The Government would be forced to override its decision. But while the executive of the Association was coming to this pacific conclusion, the President of ths Dominion Association, speaking at a local reunion, was declaring war. Mr J. H. McKenzie is reported to have openly counselled members of the Association to vote against the Government at this year’s elections because of the reduction in wages. This sort of tiling causes some quite good democrats to wonder whether, in the public interest, the Civil Servant should not be deprived of his vote. It is a distinct threat that a large, section of the Civil Service will try to throw out the Government for doing something against the Service’s interests. If the whole of the Service is going to follow this lead, it may become necessary for the two non-Labour parties to consider whether the time has not arrived for them to make common cause against this movement and all that it implies. The pos- ; ition may he sufficiently serious to bring the creation of a National Govern- ! merit- within the sphere of practical 1 politics.