PUBLIC SERVANTS

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 48, 25 August 1923, Page 6

PUBLIC SERVANTS

POLITICAL AND CIVIL RIGHTS

CLOSE DIVISION IN THE HOUSE.

A very close division took place jn the House of Representatives last night during the discussion upon the Estimates upon an amendment moved by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. T. M. Wilford) that the Education Vote be reduced by £5 as an indication tbao - full civil and political rights be grants*! to members of the Public Service. : The Minister of Industries and Commerce (the Hon. W. Downie Stewart) said the amendment had been moved I previously by the Leader of the Opposition, and it had been pointed out before_ that there were real practical difficulties in the way of the proposal. Some of the objections had been stated by ' members of Mr. Wilford's own party „,*£. T. K. Sidey (Dunedin South): Why not take the vote?" The Minister: "I want to-place my reasons on record." . Mr. Sidey: "It is not in order to discuss a question involving a change which requires legislation." W^ S" ime Minister («M> Right Hon. W. F. Massey) said the Government had Beveral times made proposals to partly give effect to the amendment before the ' Committee. They were defeated, however, in another place. «.Mr™ Si- dey>B obiecti°n was upheld by the Chairman of Committees, and-the amendment was defeated on a divisiou by 35 voles to 34. The division list was as follows: Ayes- . . . Noes. Armstrong Anderson Atmore Bitchener Bartram i Bollard Corrigan Burnott . "• de la Perrella Coates \Edie . Dickeon, J. M'Of ' Forbes Dickson. J. S. • Fraser J7j e id ' ' Holland Girling Horn Glenn Howard Harris Jordan Hawken • Langstone Henare . Lee Hockly , kye Hudson M'llvride .. Hunter in&'y Linklater Al Keen L u ke , Macpherson " Lysnar Masters M'Leod Monteith MacMillaa • MunrO Massey Murdoch KTash O'Brien ' Nosworthy Parry v p arr Poland Pomare Ransom Potter Savage Rhodes, Sir R. H. Sidey 1 Rhodes, T, W. Smft" Rblieston, F. J. SulUvan Rolleston, J. C. Veitch Sykes Wilford Stewart • ■ Witty Uru ', Wright When the Railway Estimates- vero ' being discussed, Mr. Fraser moved w reduce the General Manager's salary by £10 to indicate that full political right's should be conceded to the railway env ployees. The amendment was defeated by 36 votes to 33.