HOW TO VOTE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 116, 8 January 1932, Page 7

HOW TO VOTE

ASSOqiATION MCTATES TO AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC SERYANTS. RESENTMENT EXPRESSED. Considerable resentment against the action of the council and the exeeutive of the Public Serviee Association in allying the organisation with political parties has been expressed by "civil servants, says the Sydney Morning Herald. Every State puhlic servant, from the highest official to the messengers, received a circular letter signed by the acting general secretary (Mr. C. C. Irving), under the direction of the executive, practically exhorting association members to oppose the United Australia Party and Countiy Party candidates at the poll. Members of the association until recently were led to understand that the organisation was non-political, but I the executive's action in sending out an instruction to members as to how they should vote caused considerable indignation throughout the serviee. A section of employees is now moving to form a new union that shall be essentially non-political. Extraordinary. The circular was an extraordinary one. It stated that the executive, in carrying out the instructions of the council, had compiled a brief sumj mary from the official policy statements of the leader of each party in the election. "The policy of the Public Serviee Association," it added, "always has been for full right of access to the arbitration tribunal of this State, with the right, if desired, of access to the Federal Court. "It would appear from the policies of the leaders of the various parties in the forthcoming elections that all the parties are insistent in their demand that the Federal authority shall be the sole authority for fixing standard hours and wages in all classes of industry. "The executive is of opinion that the nearest approximation to its own policy is that enunciated in the policy speeches of Mr. J. A. Beasley, M.P., and Mr. Scullin (Prime Minister)." After referring to the arbitration policies as expressed by the two Labour leaders, the circular referred to the policy of Mr. Lyons (Leader of the United Australia Party). It alleged that the policy appeared to be a defiinate departure from the arbitration system in vogue in both the Federal and State industrial tribunals. Beyond the fixation of the basic wage and standard hours on a uniform basis for Australia, Mr. Lyons would set up some form of local tribunal constituted to arrive at agreement between the employer and employee as to the conditions and wages in each industry. The policy also provided for a referendum of the people regarding amendments of the arbitration laws. "Unsatisf ying." i The circular added that the policy of the leader of the Country Party (Dr. Earle Page) frankly advocated the abandonment of Federal and State tribunals, and the constitution of a Federal tribunal to fix minimum wage and maximum hours, leaving every- : think else to some form of local body not defined. The policy of'the All for Australia League provided for the total abolition of State Arbitration Courts, and ' the appointment of an economie adi visory council to deal with arbitration problems. It appeared to the executive that this policy was vague and unsatisfying as regards the aspirations of the Public Serviee. I In conclusion, the executive's ultimatum to the employees states: "The executive strongly urges its members throughout the State to adhere to the policy of the association, and to exercise the franchise in support of the parties which definitely and without equivocation pledge themselves to uphold the existing principles and standards of State and Federal arbitration." Many civil servants took considerable exception to the eoncluding clause of the circular, which they asserted was an uneqnivocal declaration in favour of the Beasley and Scullin political Labour Parties. Speaking at Cremorne, Mr. Lyons referred to the circular. He said that when he was Acting Treasurer he had suggested that the public servants, patriotically and voluntarily, should accept a ten to eleven per cent. reduction. They refused to help the Government, which subsequently reduced their salaries twenty per cent. He hoped that public servants would remember that and not he misled. Fortunately, they were prepared to ac- ' cept their share of the burden which ! Australian people had.to earry. "We f are not going to make any extravagant promises to buy the votes of civil servants," said Mr. Lyons. "They afe either going to play the game to Australia that employs them or they are not. rWhen the time comes to restore their salaries, and also pensions, we shall do so." (Cheers.)