NO POLITICS

Evening Star, Issue 25950, 15 November 1946, Page 6

NO POLITICS

PUBLIC SERVICE RESENTS TURNBULL INTRUSION REBUKE FROM INSTITUTE PRESIDENT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, November 14. “ The whole business savours of political wheedling,” was one of the comments of Mr 11. L. Dallard, commenting on the Public Service and politics controversy to-day. Mr Dallard is president of the Civil Service Institute, which represents the senior officers of all State services. The full text pf his remarks was: “ So far as the institute is concerned, it is contrary to a long-established tradition for it to obtrude in party politics, but I can say, as a member of the Public Service Association, that the majority of loyal public servants will greatly deplore the intrusion into the political arena of two executive officers of the association at the present time. An' attempt to involve Civil servants as a class, I, think, not only violates the cardinal rule that Civil servants generally should keep clear of party politics, but it offends the feelings of a large body of faithful and sober-minded public servants, who must surely resent this attempt to use them as political catspaws or for the purpose of any political stunt. “ The general desire for aloofness from politics was made manifestly clear some short time back by the way in which the more stable element of the Public Service rose up and out-voted the subtle manoeuvre that was then made t. link up the association with the Federation of Labour. Messrs Lewin and Turnbull will do well, | suggest, to realise, as do more experienced officers who have helped to build a tradition of which the service can be proud, that they do the service a grave disservice in the long run by attempting to effect a political line-up of the service at the present time, as ultimately there would be deep public resentment on all sides. “It would be felt that the servant would become the master. The whole business to my mind savours of political wheedling. No public servant who is doing a useful .job fears retrenchment. The association lias always stood four-square for efficiency, and this does not fit in with the retention of redundant staff.”