POLITICAL RIGHTS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 55, 2 September 1922, Page 8

POLITICAL RIGHTS

CIVIL SERVANTS' POSITION.

The question of granting full political rights to Civil servants was raised again in the House of Representatives yesterday by Mr. D. G. Sullivan, who desired to know whether the' Government would give leave to any servant who desired to contest a seat at the next General Election, and agree to reinstate him in his position if he were defeated. The Prime Minister replied that three years ago ho introduced a Bill giving the rights now desired, but'after it had passed the Lower House it was thrown out by the Legislative Council, because the Council believed, he thought, that any servant who desired to contest a seat should obtain permission to do. so from the departmental head or the Minister in Charge. Mr. Massey expressed the opinion that the stand taken up was right and' proper. During the time he was Minister of Railways ,he had given two men permission to contest seats. They' were defeated, and om man went into business on his own account and tho other was reinstated in the Service. No, restriction was placed on • Civil servants as far as local bodies were concerned, and to-day there were fifty members of the railway service belonging to local bodies. He did not desire to deprive any section of the community of their civil rights, and he had consulted the Law Drafting Department on the matter. He hoped to be able to bring in a Bill during tho present session.