APPOINTMENT OF SON OF MINISTER

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 41, 12 November 1936, Page 12

APPOINTMENT OF SON OF MINISTER

Public Servants' Protest

“PURELY INTERNAL

MATTER’’

By Telegraph—Prei-te Aswociabuti. Cliristi'liiirch, November 11. Not to Hie Public Service Commissioners but to the executive of the Public Service Association has Hie protest gone concerning the appointment of the Hon. It. T. Armstrong’s son, Mr. S. AV. .Armstrong, to a Government, post. This point was made this morning by the chairman of Hie Canterbury section of Hie Public Service Association. Air. J. G. Anderson, who said that his branch of the association dissociated itself from newspaper comments made relating to the appointment of public servants from outside Hie Public Service, and in particular to tlie temporary appointment of Air. S. W. Armstrong as an inspector of factories.

Mr. Anderson also said that a number of the statements made were not in accordance witli the facts, and the trend of the comments appeared to be a reflection on the integrity of the Public Service Commissioners. The commissioners had the full confidence of the Public Service, and no action of theirs in connection with the appointments had lessened that confidence. Asked to be specific as to the statements wliicli were not in accordance with the facts, Air. Anderson said: "No protests have been forwarded to tlie Public Service Commissioners, and no protest is to De forwarded. It js purely an internal matter.” Mr. Anderson was then asked to specify other points which his general statement inferred were not accurate, and he replied that the appointment of Air. S. AV. Armstrong was to a temporary staff, and therefore the preference clause did not apply. WORKING SINCE 1933 Minister of Agriculture’s Son By Telegraph—Press Association. Hamilton, November 11. Tn reference to Hie allegation of a meeting of public servants at Christchurch that Air. J. ix'e Martin, son of the Alinister of Agriculture, has been appointed to tlie Lands Department, tlie Hamilton branch of tlie department stated to-day that Air. J. Lee Martin was appointed overseer on unemployment work under the supervision of the Lands Department in 193.”.. (Jn account of his efficiency lie was recommended for another Government department, ami eventually was recommvmleil as a fields inspector in Hie Lands Department. That was prior to tlie general election.