PUBLIC SERVANTS

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23447, 30 September 1941, Page 8

PUBLIC SERVANTS

AFFIRMING LOYALTY TO CROWN RETURNED SOLDIERS’ LETTER TO MINISTER (P.A.) WELLINGTON, September 29. A statement issued to-night by the Dominion Executive Committee of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association reviews the association’s representations to the Attorney-General (the Hon. H. G. R. Mason) on the employment in the Public Service of persons who refused to affirm their loyalty to the Crown. In May last the Dominion Council of the Association passed a resolution urging that such persons should be immediately dismissed. A copy of the resolution was forwarded to the Attorney-General, who was Iso late' - interviewed by representatives of the association. The Attorney-General then agreed that the question was one of Government policy: but stated that the Public Service Commissioner was carrying out that policy. In subsequent correspondence, the executive committee pointed out that the Commissioner did not control all Stale departments, and asked the Attorney-General to ensure that all employees of specific departments mentioned should conform with the text of the resolution. Answering this, the Attorney-Gene-ral said that if particulars of any employee in respect of whom the question could properly be raised were forwarded to the Minister or authority employing him, the association’s representations on that employee would have attention. . The statement issued to-night says that the Dominion Executive has now written to the Minister claiming that his letter is not a fair and reasonable reply, that it is wholly unreasonable to ask the association to supply such particulars, and finally inquiring whether the Attorney-General approves the principle contained in the association’s original resolution. ‘‘lf so, this association expects to see this principle enforced.”