APPOINTMENT OF JUSTICES

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 34, 8 August 1925, Page 23

APPOINTMENT OF JUSTICES

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WAGE

WORKERS

DENIAL BY MINISTER.

A denial that discrimination is made against; working men in ' the appointment of Justices of the Peace was made by the Minister of Pensions (Sir James Parr) in the House of Representatives early this morning. Mr. J. R. Oorrigan (Patea) referred to two men who ho said were turned down as J.P.s in his electoi'ate-^-men who occupied prominent public positions and were of high standing. Re stated that the appointments were made for party purposes. ' % Mr. W. A. . Veitcli (Wanganui) alleged that the Government adopted the policy of rejecting all recommendations uJ men who worked on the railways. In order to put the matter to tho test, lie hud consulted two of tho most reliable citizens of Wanganui, against whoso character and private life uo one could say a word, and recommended them, but they were not appointed. Ho thought the mutter was so important us to require a statement from the Minister as to the policy of the Department.

The Minister said that the gentlemen referred to by Mr. Corriguii were employees iv certain freezing works. .They were not senior employees. The policy of the Department had not been to reject wages men. If the men recommended were in a position to get. away from their work when they were called upon to sit on the Bench they were appointed. That was the test, and he thought it was the right rule to follow. What was tho use of appointing a man who had to be in his job eight hours per day? No man should be appointed who was not in a position to do his duty when callod upon to do it. ■ So far as he knew there was nothing against tlia Wanganui gentlemen referred to. Sir James said he did not intend to depart from tho practice he had outlined. He declared emphatically that there was no discrimination against tho wages man, and ho ventured to say that a larger proportion of J.P.s were wages employees. Members of the Labour Party expressed further grievances against the ssytem of appointment, and after further discussion the member for Patea moved that the vote for the Justico Department bo reduced by £l as an indication that appointments of Justices of the Peace should bo made irrespective of the political views of persons rer commended.

The motion was defeated by 32 votes to 15.