R.S.A. POLITICS AND APPOINTMENTS.

Evening Star, Issue 22272, 25 February 1936, Page 11

R.S.A. POLITICS AND APPOINTMENTS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The explanation by Cr Begg, plus the corrections and urgings of other councillors, indy be sufficient to satisfy Mr MacManus, but the fact that a vast body of citizens is still discussing the subject in no uncertain manner is evidence that the onus for clearance is still on the City Council. Considering the gravity of the charges made, does it not seem rather suggestive that no inquiry was instigated by the offended council ? A show of bravado and mere denial is not exhaustive enough; the matter shpuld be thoroughly investigated, and if the , council can then present a satisfactory statement the public will know how innocent or otherwise our Labour councillors are. I would suggest that consideration of the council’s attitude to ex-soldiers be placed on the agenda. Mr MacManus seems to have lost sight of the fact that appointments other than those mentioned by your contemporary Have been made by the present council, and in each case there has been dissatisfaction amongst the general public, also that the explanation (if it can be called such) consisted of Hot air, resentment and a dire threat against the sender of the letter. My drawn-out innuendoes, as Mr MacManus describes them, are far from being the “ wash-out ” he would like to believe; also, I am far better - acquainted with the facts that have led up to the present outburst of indignation than he thinks. ’That unfortunate leakage of information before the council meeting must have been a body blow to some of the councillors, and they were fortunate to have the engineer’s first choice to fall back on. By the way, I understand that one of the conditions of appointment was disregarded in this case —namely, that the successful applicant must join the superannuation fund. The one appointed, however, is over the age limit. Does the council intend to ignore this, and, if so, why ? Of course, when it came to the Deep Stream jofi the first and second choices of the engineer were calmly discarded and the third appointed, but we are not supposed to inquire into this inconsistency. I think Mr MacManus would have done better not to mention how faithfully the council follows the advice of the departmental heads, for it has landed him in a tight corner. If your correspondent really wishes for a fair deal not only for ex-soldiers but also for the man in the street, one would expect him to use every endeavour to justify his colleagues by pressing for a more complete statement, but for some reason which I cannot explain, I have an idea the Labour Party will depend entirely on the supposed forgetfulness of the electors rather than resort to the old soldier’s way of placing its cards on the table and having a proper show-down. I consider the honour of our city is at stake and that the citizens should demand that tliis matter he cleared up one way or the other. Surely Dunedin has already become notorious enough with nut official crack at Anzac Day and the guns question without the added disgrace insinuated in the charges made by the Gasfitters_’ Union. I would suggest that an inquiry open to the public be held, and I await with interest (not 3J per cent.) Mr MacManus’s opinion of the suggestion.—l am, etc., Sniper. February 24.

TO THE EDITOR. .Sir, —"Digger” correctly summed mo up when he stated t was in high glee over the City Council rebutting certain charges. I hope criticism against their work will always be as easily rebutted, " Digger now. says

Cr Begg may have been ignorant of the, intentions of the Labour section. Cr Begg is chairman of the Water Committee, which was mainly criticised. J have a vivid recollection of the way that Cr Begg voted against Labour amendments 1 moved when I was the lone Labour councillor many years ago. “ Digger ” can take it from me that it Cr Begg denies the statements he and “ Sniper ” have made, there is nothing in them, for I cannot imagine Cr Begg losing a chance to put it over a Labour councillor, such is his Labour bias as 1 found it. Any effort that the R.S.A may make to secure employment for exservicemen as suggested by “ Digger, if couched in the courteous and respectful manner in which such representations were once made to anti-Lab-our councils, will, I have no doubt be as sympathetically considered as ever they were. It may be remembered that nine years ago last August 1 had a stroke that left me paralysed on one side. I, who lost my employment through it, though I had 12 children at the time and none of them working, can genuinely feel for any victim who suffers privations and disabilities I had to endure. For such reasons I rejoiced when shortly after the last municipal elections the Rev. E. T. Cox, as Mayor of Dunedin, drew attention to the state of distress among some invalided returned soldiers in the city, and his good work was ably assisted by Cr M'Millan without charge, rendering medical aid to those cases. When his sympathetic work was being attacked, naturally I wrote under the pen name of “Invalid,” defending it* and I was pleased to see that those wtio benefited by his work fittingly wrote to the Press in acknowledgement of it. All I wanted to see was that no one should ever be compelled to endure what I endured. It is for such reasons that I believe that sympathetic consideration will be given to requests fittingly represented. Should it he proven by ballot that the views of Mr Breen do not fit in with the wishes of all returned men, I hope the council wil Ireverse the items that do not figure on the Labour platform that are outraging our deepest sentiments, that were so fittingly and feelingly legislated for in the past. Let the council discontinue fighting the lost battles of the past and fight the future winning battles on its Labour platform only.—l am, etc., J. E. MacManxjs. February 23.