NO LOAFERS WANTED.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 313, 19 December 1936, Page 6

NO LOAFERS WANTED.

PUBLIC WORKS STAFF Picturesque Outburst by Minister Semple. Christchurch, .Last Night "Then: is jio room tor scroungers, criminals or loafers in ' the Public Works Department and we are not going to have the riff-raff of the country drifting into it. We want to keep the Public Works an institution where decent men can earn their living by hard work without fear of having their good name spoiled by association with any undesirables.” In .hose terms the Minister for Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, commented in an address to construction gangs at the Ashley River protection works yesterday on rumours that he had victimised certain employees of the department. Mr. Semple said he had never victimised anybody but he admitted that he had sacked men who had no right to associate Avith decent, clean living workmen. There was no reason why a man who wore dungarees should not be a gentleman and be treated as a gi.-ntk-m:ui for he wain most essf-inial work which v. a.s .fundamentally necessary in increasing the productive capacity of the Dominion. in. the Supreme Court at Auckland dians of the public purse,” Mr. Semple added, “and we are going on the course we have planned without any turning back. We shall do this in spite of the criticism of the street corner spittoon philosopher and snivelling scrounger or the protests of t7.it over-developed parasite, the stock exchange gambler. No man has any: claim on a nation's production unless he pulls his weight and renders some service as an individual unit.”