AGAIN DECLINED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 75, 26 September 1938, Page 11

AGAIN DECLINED

LEAVE OF ABSENCE

A COUNCIL EMPLOYEE

POLITICAL BIAS ALLEGED

The City Council, at its meeting on August 10, declined an application by W. Sadd, an employee of the Milk Department, for special leave of absence without pay for six to eight weeks to enable him to act as secretary to one of the candidates at the forthcoming General Election. Today Councillor A. Black's notice of motion to rescind the motion embodying the refusal and grant the leave, met a similar fate. Councillor Black, speaking to his motion, asked how it was that the matter had come before the staff committee, as Sadd was not a member of the staff. This seemed a new departure. Why had not the thing been referred to the Milk Department? The man had asked the superintendent of the milk factory on two occasions for leave and had been told that it would be all right, and that he would not be replaced. For some reason he was asked to make another application, which later on somebody suggested should go to the staff committee. Why? Why was it _ not referred to the milk committee? The man had made all arrangements to get off, only to find i that he was turned down. The milk | committee would have let the man off. The application was for leave without pay. THIRD APPLICATION. Councillor P. M. Butler seconded Councillor Black's motion. Twice given leave of absence by the dairy superintendent, the man was asked to make a third application, said Councillor Butler. He understood that any man with long service could get extended leave on application. Sadd had wished to assist Mrs. Stewart, the i Labour candidate for Wellington West. The application was made some time ago. Sadd had been employed by the Milk Department for 11 years without any previous leave of absence at all. Apparently his character and ability were satisfactory. The formal application had made no mention of politics, yet "for one of the candidates" was now inserted. Where had that come from? The Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop): It is in his letter. Councillor Butler: It is not in his letter. On two occasions, having told the superintendent what the leave was for. he was told it was all right. Other men in the department, including the general manager, had leave on pay. There was no question of politics in the application. Councillors W. Duncan, R. L. Macalister, and C. H. Chapman were on the staff committee. Sadd had stated that he was going to work for Mrs. Stewart, and was quite honest about it. The only question asked the applicant in the staff committee was by Councillor Macalister, who asked him how long he had been in council employ. Councillor Butler read a list of 14 names of men who had been granted extended leave. "If the action taken is not a political thing, I do not know what is," continued Councillor Butler. "All these officers got leave without trouble." He referred to the removal of clause 59 of the Finance Act by the Government, which How permitted all civil servants to take their part in political activities, and spoke of the contrast the present action would-make in the case of a municipal body. "Do we continue to give leave of absence to everybody without pay, or does it stop with this because a man has taken a political stand?" he asked. "There are political partisanships in all bodies. In this case the man would get less pay than if he continued to work. It is just because this man is a Labour supporter that he has been refused," concluded Councillor Butler. A NEW FEATURE. Councillor L. McKenzie, explaining why the matter had gone to the staff committee, said that it was quite true that when leave of absence was asked for it was generally granted, if it were for ordinary purposes, such as a funeral, but when Sadd made his application to the director of the Milk • Department, the director asked what it was for and was told. That brought in a new feature in the management of the trading concerns of the city. Seeing that it was something new, the director referred the application to the Town Clerk, who : sent it on to the committee for a ruling and for approval. "I do not want to know anything about politics," con- > tinued Councillor McKenzie, "but this ■is the point. I have nothing against Mr. Sadd for working for a candidate, but I take" the stand that I oppose anyone on our staff, no matter on what side of the fence, even if he were going to work for Mr. Appleton, Mr. Wright, or Mr. McKeen, getting leave of absence, and having, his job being kept open for him, while he is being paid by somebody else. Mr. Sadd was quite open and honest about it, much to his credit." Councillor C. H. Chapman said that he was sorry to see such evidence of political bias. Frankly and openly the man had told why he wanted time off. As a casual employee he had never had a holiday, and could only rely on the generosity of his employers. Had he asked for any other! reason it'would not have been refer-I red to the staff committee. The staff1 committee, by two out of three, de-! cided, on the second occasion, that leave be not granted. "I think that | if the council had no bias in the mat--1 ter, the question of what the leave was required for would not enter into consideration," said Councillor Chapman. 1 Councillor Appleton: It would be ■ quite the same thing if he wanted to : get off to help a National candidate. Councillor Chapman: There has been no application on behalf of a National candidate. i Councillor Appleton: It would, have ■ been just the same. Councillor Chapman: This side of , the table would not have refused. I have no doubt that political bias has been shown. An employee of the , City Council is in a different position to a private employee. If an employee of a private individual .or firm wanted leave for this purpose, the employer, if violently Nationalistic, might refuse, if he were not open to fair play, but otherwise would let the man go, unless he were being inconvenienced. In this case there is no inconvenience whatever. I think . the council is taking a very sorry > attitude. ; Councillor A. McKeen was chiefly . concerned with the justice of the mat-' t ter. If Sadd had been a civil servant ; he would have had no difficulty in t getting leave for such a purpose. The t attitude taken up, in his mind, showi ed political bias. It appeared that : every future application for leave i must come before the council with a : full explanation of how it was pro- > posed to spend the leave, thus tak- , ing it completely out of the hands of i the heads of departments. I Councillor Margaret Semple sup- > ported the other Labour members, pointing out that it was only honesty,

which had prevented Sadd obtaining his leave.

Councillor T. Brindle said he was surprised that the application had been turned down. Was this an exr uple of the "freedom" people would get under a National Government? Fortunately that was a remote possibility. The fact that Sadd was given permission by the factory superintendent showed that his absence would cause no inconvenience. The attitude of the City Council was apparently to suppress the desire of a man to work for the success of his ideals. i Councillor W. Duncan: Has not the j Labour Party any other man who could work for them? Councillor Appleton said that regarding the talk of fair play, there I was the example offered in broadcasting. KEEP OUT OF POLITICS. Councillor Black: What has that got to do with the present application? Councillor Appleton said that it would be wrong for any member of the council staff on leave to work for a candidate, National or otherwise. The | council should try to keep its staff out of politics. It was all very well to talk of leave granted in other cases, but in every case leave was given to allow the man to get more knowledge for his job. Councillor Butler: No. Councillor Black, referring to broadcasting, said that the Hon. A. Hamilton, as an example, had the whole of the Press behind him, and it was only fair that Labour candidates should have assistance from broadcasting, too. The Nationalists could not expect to have everything behind them. The action of the council in regard to Mr. Sadd could not be called putting a premium on honesty. The Mayor pointed out that any application for leave must go to the staff committee, if it were from a man who was not the head of a department. On the motion of Councillor T. Forsyth, seconded by Councillor Appleton, the motion was put and defeated by 8 votes to 6. The ayes were: The Mayor, and Councillors W. Appleton, W. Duncan, T. Forsyth, Malcolm Fraser, M. F Luckie, R. L. Macalister, and L. McKenzie. The noes were: Councillors T. Brindle, A. Black, C. H. Chapman, Margaret Semple, R. McKeen, and P. M. Butler.