THE CIVIL SERVICE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 December 1911, Page 8

THE CIVIL SERVICE.

TELEGRAMS.

SPYING ALLEGED TO BE ■RAMPANT.

STATEMENT IN DIG NANTtY DENIED.

[BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL 'JO THE STAR.]

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day,

Some strong comment was made amopgst the civil servants in Christchurch yesterday .morning, when they read statements in a daily newspaper in regard to spying and political influence being rampant in the service. The statements were published in the form of an interview, and a Government employee is reported to have said: “It is as much as my job is worth to be seen here to-night, but as I hadn’t heard and I intend to vote for him, I am running the risk. If I were seen applauding here to-night they would know about it ar the office before nine o’clock to-mor-row morning. We never know who is spying on us. We are thoroughly sick of it, and we yearn for political freedom. There are a few hundred of us here, and we thank heaven that the ballot box is secret- You can rest, assured that those of us with any backbone at all are going to vote for a complete change. Things in the civil service could not be worse than they are under Ward and Co.” About a score of civil servants, who were seen by a “Lyttelton Times” reporter gave an absolute and unqualified denial to the statements which were generally characterised as utterly absurd as well as untruthful.

One of these gentlemen who has been employed by several Governments seemed to express the opinion stated generally. ‘T can hardly believe,” lie said, “that any civil servant in Christchurch would make such a Statement. I have never heard it suggested that civil - servants in , any part of the Dominion are afraid to attend political meetings as members of the audiences. I should certainly consider it improper for a civil servant ro take an active part in a politi-

■! ( meeting. Ido not think that he ought to move a motion of any kind, or even to display approval or disapproval of the remarks of any speaker, but that is quite a different thing. As to spying, in my long experience in the service I have seen none oi it and I cannot imagine that it exists. As a matter of fact I do not think that the. civil servants as a body would stand.it for a moment. The service is in as good a position today as it has ever teen in. I have not mot with the member who is yearning for political freedom and who.is thoroughly sick of the spying. In my opinion, if those are his feelings he would be much better out of the service as far as the interests of the service are concerned. If I wish to go to a political meeting I go to it, and listen to the speakers and on election day I vote for the man whom I consider the best. I recognise that I am called imon to observe loyalt\ to my .employer, .and if I felt that I must criticise the Government I would first leave tire service. That is in accordance with the traditions of the service in all parts of the Empire. I have never found that any of my fellow' Civil servants took the slightest interest in my political views or tried to ascertain in what direction they run, and I, on my part, have never troubled myself about their views.”