PUBLIC SERVANTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 281, 27 November 1931, Page 9

PUBLIC SERVANTS.

ATTITUDE TO ELECTIONS.

INTERESTS OF DOMINION

QUESTION OF WAGE "CUTS."

The attitude of civil servants towards the forthcoming general election is outlined in the "Public Service Journal/' Public servants, the-journal states, must not only remain aloof from active participation. in politics, but also must abstain from even a suggestion of partisanship.. 'On the eye of the election, therefore, the journal could only counsel members to - exercise in the manner their best individual judgment dictated in the interest of New Zealand. It has been the practice of the Public Service Association at some Parliamentary elections to place before candidates

a questionnaire embodying points affecting public servants, so that candidates could give their viewpoints in' writing or from the platform. The journal states that there has been one outstanding success in that direction —that relating to the maintenance of nonpolitical control'of the service. , To-day there was the paramount; question of salaries, but tin? association has seen that many members of Parliament who advocated the reinstatement of the previous salary "cut" not only failed to live up to-what they thought, but blindly supported salary reductions introduced in 1931. This tliey did even though they were fully aware that such reductions placed public servants at a lower level than workers outside the service, this having regard to cost of living improvements granted to both groups since 1914. "To crown all, at the liutt by-election the unsolicited statements of the leaders of each of the three political parties were made that they were in favour of the reinstatement of our salaries' reductions —and then 1931 and a complete reversal of' their election pledges." The journal concludes by stating that it is not proposed to" place , any questions before the candidates upon' this occasion.