SUSPENDED.

Evening Post, Volume 27, Issue 77, 27 September 1907, Page 6

SUSPENDED.

J. M'CULLOUGH'S CASE. GOVERNMENT CONDEMNED. [BY TELEGRAPH. — PItESS ASSOCIATION.] CiIRISTCHUBCH, 26th Sept. At an Independent Political Labour League social to-night reference was made to the suspension of Mr. J. A. H'Culloiigh, a tinsmith at the Addington workshops, on account of his having publicly criticised the Ward Administration, and the following motion was carried unanimously: — "That this meoting of citizens of Christchurch and surrounding districts entcn an emphatic protest against the harsh and arbitrary manner in which the Government has> elected to suspend Mr. M'Cullough." At a meeting of th? branch committee of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, held last evening, the following resolution was carried unanimously : — "That this committee considers that the suspension of our chairman, Mr. J. A. M'Cullough, for having expressed his political opinions at a meeting of an association of which ho is' a member, is unworthy of the Government of a socalled democratic country, and borders on tyranny and oppression of railway men. who should be free to their own opinions, and to the right to express them." Tho members of the committee all spoke in very strong terms of the system by which railway men were treated differently from other citizens of the Dominion in respect to political matters. It was alleged that so lo^g as thnir attitndo was favourable to tho Government m power no objection was raised to the men taking part in politics : but directly they ventured to assert their independence they were taken to task by the authorities and treated in a way that was quite unworthy of the Liberal 'CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The executive of the Canterbury Trades and Labour Council last evening passed unanimously tho following motion : " That this council strongly* protests against the harsh arbitrary treatment meted out to Mr. J \ M'Cullough in the manner of his' suspension frdm tho railway service, as wo consider that the railways are the property of the people, and that the Orovernment is managing them in trust for the people. We think that it is an unjustifiable wrong to dismiss any servant who is rightly performing his duty during working hours." THE GENERAL THEME. faY TELEGRAPH— OWN COnRFSroXDENT.] CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Mr. M'Cullough's suspension is "the general theme- of conversation in town. The Star says :— "With the political platform of the Labour League, which is the political platform of Mr. M'On'ough, we have in some directions very I little sympathy. The motion condemnatory of the Ward administration, which has been the direct incentive to Mr. M'Cullough's suspension, was almost as ridiculous as -the suspension itself, but the community arc certainly not going to sit quietly down and see a man, respecter! wherever he moves, who has worked hard ,md honestly in the interests of Labour, ag.iinst whom there- is not even a shadow of suspicion that ho engaged in political 'graft.' who for years and years has openly been associated with Labour and politics- without complaint from his employers, deliberately and wantonly insulted and degraded by the Government of the- day." ' QUESTION IN PARLIAMENT. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. In the House of Representatives this afternoon. Mr. Ell asked the Premier whether it was true that Air. M'Cullough, of the railway workshops at, Christchurch. had bean suspended. The Premier said it was true. There wa<» a rulu of the public eervice that no member of the service should take an active part in connection with politics. Itwas reported to the Government that Mr. M'Cullough had moved a resolution of a political character at a public meeting, and after full consideration Cabinnt unanimously decided that he should be ' suspended and called upon to give reasons why he should not be dismissed. The fact of the resolution being adverse to the Government had not actuated tho Government in any sense whatever. 'L'ho Premier added that he had nothing' but j admiration for a man'wiio endeavoured i to assist his fellow-employees in' improv- j ing their position. If 'the resolution moved had been in favour of the Government the action of tho Government would have been just the same. The Government had to do its duty in this matter, and if it made an exception in an* case it would have to make oxceptions in all cases. Tho only alternative was to repeal the regulation. No member of the Government would for a moment attempt to injure Mr. M'Cnllough or any one else because of his political opinions ; there was nothing of the kiu.l in this matter, but in carrying out tho regulations, the Government could not make fis>h of ono and flesh of another. It had to do its duty, and in this case it j had done its duty without the* e-lightpst j feeling towards Mr. M'Cullough or anjbody else. The Government could no', allow any employee to flout and ignore j its regulations ; where a regulation was in force an employee hadf to conform to it, and when he failed to do so the Gov. eminent had to do its duty. He was not yet in^ a position to state what thj final deckion of the Government would be. The Government did not object to the political views of Civil Servants, but one of the disabilities of being a Civil Servant was that he must not take a public part in politics. "No man can serve two masters," wid the Premier, in concluding, "and for that reason the rule had been laid down that Civil Servants must not serve on local bodies, but that they must be able to carry out their work with complete freedom. Thiß was a matter ontirely for Parliament to decide If Parliament thought fit to give freedom to the Civil Servant in political and local matters, the, lesponsibility would bo taken off the shoulders of the Government. But so long as the regulation oxisted it must be obeyed."

The unusual position of a man being committed to the Supreme Court for trial on a charge of having used indecent language arose before Mr. Riddell, R.M., to-day. James Egan Mas the defendant. He was represented by Mr. Wilford, who olected to go before a jury. Bail waH allowed in self £5 and one snroty in £5. Albert Thos. Skallia and David Alex Elliott were each fined 40b, with 7s coats, in dcfnult »even days' imprisonment, -for having been found on licensed premises during the currency of piohibition orders agninft thorn. (Jhns Mercer, defended by Mr. Herdmnn, was charged with hr.ving sold whisky to David Gibson without a license. Tho court, after a part hi hearing, inljourncd the cusp until 4th October, owing to the principal uitnes being unable to givo tolicicnt nn.swPi <. Wm. Milci Wiis lined 2s. with 7.- <oaK for having loft his vehicle (on loi\>: on .' street, W. H. Nhopbord being f imil.-ivly dealt with for having iiiE-uffkiout light on his voliicle til nhjM. A new organ foi tho Hnßtingr. Catholic Church is to bo built by Mr. Hobd»y. .Sf -WelJinitop. ;