HARDSHIP CASES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 66, 19 March 1931, Page 9

HARDSHIP CASES.

TRIBUNAL SUGGESTED. "BIDDING FOR FAVOURS" WRONG. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Contending that politics should be freed from "bids for Public Service support," the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Leader of the Opposition, in the course of his speech on the Finance Bill, strongly urged the Government to appoint an independent tribunal to deal with any cases of hardship that might follow .the introduction of the 10 p-,r cent wages "cut" throughout the service. Mr. Coates said that men oil the bread-and-butter line should have the right to place their individual cases before such a tribunal, which could recommend to the Government a method of overcoming the individual problems. Mr. E. J. Howard (Labour, Christchurch South): Splendid! A ha.dsiiip clause!

Mr. Coatcs: That Is not in my mind at all.

The Public Service, lie added, had suffered in the past because of dillerences of opinion as far as political parties were concerned. It would be in the interests of New Zealand to have some commission or tribunal, composed of independent men, who could keep out of Parliament, as far a/5 possible, "this constant bidding for favours from the Public Service." It bpcame a serious matter indeed when politicians and political parties endeavoured to make a bid for that favour by promising certain things if returned to power. Th>. political, morality of the country was not enhanced by that coui se. Because of the fear of an anti-Public Se-. vice vote, some were afraid to support the Government's proposals and were prepared to allow the position to drift. The result of allowing the position to drift would simply be to bring a greater disaster to that section of the community in the end. A United Member: No doubt about

that. . . . Mr. Coatcs: All of us, I am sure, with to see fairness done. If definite recommendatiors were made Parliament would not hesitate for one moment. The men a fleeted bv the proposals should have the right to place their budgets before some such tribunal.