PUBLIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 141, 16 June 1891, Page 2

PUBLIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION.

A ■meeting of the Auckland branch of the Public Service Association was held last night in Robson's Rooms, when there was a fair attendance. Dr. J. Giles, R.M., presided, and Mr Haultain officiated as secretary.

INAUGURAL Address.—The Chairman, in opening the business, said: "Gentlemen, the Auckland branch oi' the Public Service Association being now definitely constituted by the enrolment of members and the election of a local committee, ifc Eeems desirable, upon the occasion of the iirsO meeting of the branch co constituted, to say a few words of congratulation upon iho progress which has thus far been made, and of speculation upon the probable functions of the Association in the future, and the purposes which it may ba expected to serve for the benefit of its members and the Government and of the general community. That these are the only ends which this Association is intended to promote 13, it may be hoped, now generally acknowledged, and the patronage of liia Excellency the Governor, and the pronounced approval of successive Ministries, area sufficient guarantee that our programme has no political complexion, and that we have in view no sinister objects of any kind. That which is for the advantage ef tho members of the Association cannot be detrimental to the Government or the public, rj*nd conversely what is helpful to tho Government and beneficial to the public cannot be injurious to the body ot Civil servants. It* is certainly not to the advantage of either of these classes that the Civil Service should bo, or should bo thought to be, largely composed of the idle and the inefficient, that its dutios should bo deemed to bo of little or no public advantage, and fchab its payment should be regarded as a pure burden upon the taxpayer, for which no adequate benefit is received. 'What we really dosireis that the public service should he put upon a sound and stable basis, thr.fc useless oilicss—if any such there be—should foe abolished ; that those which are kept on ioct should bo such a3 are recognised by the public as manifestly useful and necessary, and that every officer should bo skilled in his own department, and should discharge ins duties with a faithful desire to give the community the best work he is capable of. This is the ideal siaLo of things at which v/e aim, not less in the interest of the Goverment which employe and of the community which p?.ys than of the men who do fche work. But to attain this ideal it is necessary that the servants so employed be adequately paid, that their position be made secure ; that every officer should feol and know that all promisee of the Government, either expressly made or manifestly implied, will be made good with tho moat absolute fi.Je'ity ; and that no one, in order to attain justico or redress for whafa he conceives to be a wrong, should ever rind it necessary to revert to any kind of indirect influences. The security of which I speak does not necessarily mean a provision for life, it does Dob necessarily mean a pension, it does not necessarily mean a. substantial compensation for Joss of office ; it means above all things perfect clearness in the terms of engagement, and absolute certainty in their fulfilment. The thinge which I have enumerated may be good or bad, expedient or inexpedient, buD the first principles of clearness and certainty being establishes.*!, they may be left to the consideration of the Government and of Parliament, assisted, let us hops, by the advice and counsel, and suggestions of our Association. If the inducements held out to enter the public service are inadequate to tho work expected, then, as a matter of course, an inferior class of men only will be obtained, and the community will then perhaps learn the difference ba'iween true and false economy; but at all events there ought to be no individual complaints of hardship or of capricious action, since all engagements, express or implied, vould be sacredly observed. Ifc is no doubt easier to talk generalities of this tort than to explain in what specific way the Association is going to bring about the objects which h has in view. I certainly am not prepared at present to lay down any specific lines for our action, but now that we ate organised I think our first business is to wait for the promised legislation for the regulation of the Civil Service, and carefully to v/atch its progress with the determination to criticise it with fairness and candour, to give our earnest help to the Government and the Legislature in perfecting all its provisions, and to accept it when complete in a spirit of perfect loyalty and ■with the ons desire to make it work efficiently for the public go<»d. It is matter for congratulation that the inception of a measure-of this kind should so closely coincide in time with the formation ofour Association, and vve are perhap3 justified in thinking that the coincidence i 3 not accidental. if we may believe, as i think wo may, thab tha Government has felt thab the moment of our self-organisation wss the libtest for the introduction of their legislation, and thab our so organising ourselves was the best guarantee thab such legislation would not bo thrown away, wo must surely feel much encouragement in the thought thab our •movement in its very beginning has produced such promising I'ruit. So long as this legislation is pending wo need not concern ourselves with what is to come after. Events will declare themselves in their own way, and whatever happens it is better that wo should be organised than unorganised, better that v/e should bo unitc-d for discussion and couasel and action, rather than a promiscuous concourse oi atoms, each moved by its own internal forces and havinf no cohesion or affinity with its fellows. We have lately been surprised and pained by some rather extensive retrenchments which have taken place throughout the colony—surprised by the Budde'nness of tho changes, and pained by the knowledge that they have been in some cases calamitous to those concerned. It is natural thab what has happened should have caused a rather general feeling of insecurity and apprehension, bub we must endeavour to look at, the matter calmly, and to remember that our business as an Association is not so much with cases of individual hardship as with principles which ought to regulate the position and permanency of officers of different classes. I do not, indeed, say that no cases of individual hardship or" distress may hope to receive substantial help from our Association when a true feeling of brothe-hood has established itself among us, ls I trust it some day will ; bub meantime our chief concern is with principles, and if we should have to deal with any concrete cases we ought to consider whether the lines upon which such appointments have been made, or such office held, are best adapted for obtaining good officers and efficient work. And if it were found that something had been inadvertently done which involved a principle likely to prove injurious to fchepublicservicel think noGovernment would refuse to listen to any well-con-sidered suggestion which we might see our way to make. Two appeals of the kind now referred to have already been made to «8 and it is for that reason that I havo thought it right to indicate in what manner Buch'mattere should be dealt with. These letters will, no doubt, be considered by your Committee, and any suggestion which they may be able to make will be forwarded to the central body in Wellington. I have now gentlemen, before proceeding to the business of the evening, once more to congratulate you upon the progress thusfar achieved, a progress, 1 may say, due mainly to the indefatigable efforts 01 our friend tho Hon. Secretary, Mr Haultain applause), and I bring my remarks to a close with the hope thab this Association, and particularly the Auckland branch, will never fail to act on tho principles o-. unity, paternity, and fidelity. (Applause.) Election of Chairman

said that the first business was the election of a Chairman. —Mr Reston returned thanks for being elected at the head of the poll for Committee. He movod a vote of thank 3to Dr. Giles for the able presentation he had just made, and also nominated him as Chairman of this branch of the Association.— This was seconded by Mr H. W. Bishop, R.M., and adopted unanimously.—Dr. Giles returned thanks, and said he took a great interest in the Association, but feared he would not be able to give that active attention to the office that mighb be required, but he would do his utmost to further the interests of the Association. —Mr T. Haultain was elected Secretary and Treasurer, and on his motion ibwas decided that eight should form a quorum of the Committee.

Non-Political Board.—A letter was read from the Wellington branch asking the meeting to consider the following resolution :—"Thab the Council be asked to endeavour to havo a clause inserted in the Civil Service Bill to have the Service placed inder the control of a non-political Board. * —Dr. Giles said he would hardly be prepared to vote for such a resolution, as it weuld be something in the character of the present Board of Railway Commissioners. It would be tantamount to a vote of want of confidence in the Government. He moved, " That this meeting cannot approve of the resolution passed by the Welliagfcon branch, and referred to in the letter forwarded by Mr Thomson dated May 27." This was seconded by Mr Edgar and adopted.— Mr Bishop said there was an astonishing lack of knowledge regarding the objects of the Association. He suggested that circulars should be sent round in order to enrol all members of the Civil Service.—The Chairman said that would be attended to. —Mr Chas. Russell referred to the fact that in the proposed Bill all non-clerical members had been struck out from the Civil Sorvico. He saw no reason why that 3hould be dono, and he hoped the Committee would take that matter into consideration. — Dr. Giles said he had no doubt the Commitbee would do so.—This concluded the business.