CIVIL SERVANTS' PROTEST

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3100, 2 June 1917, Page 8

CIVIL SERVANTS' PROTEST

AGAINST TRESPASS ON TRADITION PUBLIC SERVICE ASSOCIATION UNDER FIRE. A little over a week ago a deputation representing tho Council of the Public Service Association waited upon tho Act-ing-I'rimo Minister (Sir James Allen), and 1 in tho space of less than an hour placed before him the alleged views of the Civil Service on matters of importance, and made certain proposals of a character that havo' induced comment from one , end of the Dominion to tho other. It appears that the views of tho council as placed before tho Minister by the deputation, du not represent those of the whole of the Service. Indeed, there is said to have been n rising feeling against the action of the executive of the association for placing tho entire Service in the light it did. Some opinions on the general position wero gathered at random yesterday by a Dominion reporter from responsible officers in the Service. Very Emphatic "I wish," said one Civil Servant, with over thirty years' service to his credit; "to emphatically disclaim any sympathy or connection with the proposals of the association as'put forward by Mr. Allport and the'deputation to the ActingPrime Minister. It seems to me that the proposals, prepared with the sole object of benefiting State Servants, wero to put it mildly, very unwise. Why should this particular section of the community claim concessions not enjoyed by their fellow-citizens, and why, forsooth, should tho producers be raided in the manner suggested? It goes without saying that people with fixed incomes, not affected by the higher prices should be envious of those who happen to bo benefiting very largely by them, but the remedy was not to take over the farms as ridiculously suggested, but for the Government to tako reasonable toll by way of taxation. I think it is positively monstrous for any body of men to band themselves together to bring preeenre upon tho Government at such a time in an endeavour to gain odvan-. tages that are to be debarred other members of the community. It is a form of economic cannibalism that I had imagined we were from from. Civil Servants enjoyed many privileges that could bo placed against such disadvantages as a. war-time increase in the cost of living. They had nioro holidays than any other, class; they enjoyed a security- of tenure in their work which few other classes did; and idtimntoly were given pensions or superannuation allowances by the State, andwhich were , very largely contributed to by tlio State, i.e., the people: they sought to bleed white." "Of course, it would l>6 quite possible I suppose for New Zealand to'keep an army «it home—as well as sending one to fight the Central Po\vcrs of |Europe— to make the fanners disgorge tho produce required by the Civil Servants. That might lead to something in. the naturo of civil war, not a matter of great moment, when tho appetite of tho Public Service Association was at stake."

"I believe that there are a very large number of men in tho Service absolutely averse to the sentiments of the mouthpiece of the association, and many more throughout the length, and breadth of the Sorvico who were merely amused at the extravagant and untenable proposals put forward by the council of tlic association."-

The Road to Djsenfranchisement. ."It was an article in a Christchurch paper that forced me to believe that the recent representations to the Minister, made by tho Civil Servico Association through Mr. Allport were being taken seriously as the views of the entire Service," said ono prominent member of the Service to a Dominion reporter when ap--proahed on tho subject. "As a matter of s fact there aro quite a large number of members of tho association who do not sympathise, and indeed, resent the representations made to the Minister by tho president of tho association, apart altogether from the political aspect of tho question. It is, however, a .time-honour-ed custom that sorvnnts of tho State should not take part in politics in any shapo or form, and it would bo a very serious matter indeed for tho service wore they to. bring any pressure to bear on tho Government to servo their own ends. That would lead to a very unsatisfactory state of affairs in the Public Service, for the ultimate result of exerting such improper influences would' havo to . bo the disfranchisement of members of the Servico. As to the question of the wages of the Junior members, J have /the greatest sympathy for a. man who is trying to keep a family on an inadequate salary, whether he is in the Servico or not, but the proper person to approach in that matter is the Public Service Commissioner—who is tho constituted authority, llr. Allport may, and I suppose was, speaking for his executive, but I know there. Ie a considerable section of the Public Service who clo not agree with the views he expressed in the interview with the Minister. As to his ideas of commandeering the moat held in store and taking over the farms, I consider them too much of the wild cat order to discuss."

Not for that Purpose. "Do you agreo with tho attitude of the association, and with tho ease set out by Mr. Allport?" was asked a member of the association. ■■ "No, I don't," was the reply; "the Public Service Association was not formed for sucll a. purpose. It camo into existence, or was given a new lease of life, when tho Public Service Commissioners were' appointed, and its duty was to watch the action of the Commissioneis to see that • justice was done the men within-the Service, but I'm sure it was never originally intended to meddle with 'cost of living' or other political questions, and certainly not to approach tho Acting-Prime Minister with the same and hold a pistol to his head. It's too ridiculous for words. As one who never received a bonus, I would like-to remind tho public that tho Service has already been given a 10 jior cent, war, bonus to meet the increased cost of living. 'What about the poor beggars. who are away fighting for us all for 6s. a day?" An Association Man's Views. ■ "Yes, I'm an association ■ man—l'm a member all right.". ' . "Do you approve of the association's platform as put forward by Mr. Allnort in the recent interview with the ActmgPrime Minister?'' "No, I don't, linG I don't believe tho whole of the association does either. I may have my own views as to whether the Government has acted in tho best manner towards its own people in tho matter of foodstuffs, font all tho same I don't think the association has any right to go to the Minister, and talk a. lot of rot as they did. They'll only bring the association into contempt if they go on like that." Agitating With a? Big Stick. "I don't believe that the association is acting quite fairly the matter," said one Service authority. "Take the question of wages—the statutory people to deal with that matter are the Public Service Commissioners, and hero is a body that is not statutory taking up the matter. It would bo much cleaner if they had formed a union, taking in al! its advantages and disadvantages, mid so become a (Statutory body, whicli has set lines on which to approach its employers for higher wages, etc. Yet here is a body that is not statutory, agitating with a big stick in a manner that oven unions seldom do." "An Unwarrantable Assumption of Authority."

Another Civil Servant stated that in his opinion tho action of tho executive of the association in approaching the Minister as they did was uot in necovd with the traditions of tho Service, to say tho least. As far as he could gather, and ho hud heard a great deal of comment, there wcro members of tho association who wcro taken completely aback by the extraordinary nature of the views put forward. They had not been tummoned to any general meeting to discuss tho matters touched upon, and tho executko appeared to liavo acted ou Us own

initiative. They (tho executive) would not ba flattered to hear what was being said of them by many of their own members. "In my opinion," said tho spcakor, 'tho action of tho ■ association was an unwarrantable assumption of authority "-

Making the Service Ridiculous. "I'm pretty sure," said another wellknown Civil Servant, "'that there is a very lavgo section .of the Public Service not at all in sympathy -with the diatribes of Mr. AUport and the association lie represents. Most of the ideas he put forward were not practicable, and, in any ease, it is not tho function of tho association to criticise the Government in tho way it did, and make the whole Service ridiculous in the eyes of tho public as had ken done."