PUBLIC SERVANTS.

Grey River Argus, 26 June 1922, Page 2

PUBLIC SERVANTS.

SUPPORT YOUR PAPER. (By ‘ ‘ Side-chair. ’’ i The queslion that is exorcising Hie minds of railwaymen and public servants to-day is will the Gowrnmen! (‘I I his country exercise Iha pow‘r given to il under the Pubi'm Service Expenditure Adjustment Bill .iml take another cut from the already <nad'quote wages of the puldic ser*. ..nts. If the Government is i »r.*; r<‘« • I > coiisider the question on its merits, without being influenced by lhe bankers and other influential interests, including* newspapers, in this country, ihen the cut cannot lake place. The latest figures disclosed by the Government Statistician and more particular ly those- used by Air Justice Fraser in respect to the cost of living when he made his 5/- reduction in the wages of the outside workers, clearly shows that the railwaymen were robbed, when the first cut was made. The .Prime Minister is quoted in “ H.unsard” as saying that the cost of living food groups on January 17 had dropped to s<> per cent above pre-war We now find that on March 31, 1922. according to Air Justice Fraser, that lhe cost of living then stood ar G2 per cent above pre-war. In lhe face of this it seems impossible for any fair-minded Government lo reduce wages further, in fad the Prime Alinister ought to make a refund to public servants in accordance with lhe latest figures used by Mr Justice Fraser. Bui will he? Thai depends on the workers themselves. On Wednesday. Dunedin witnessed a memorable light in the Dunedin North electorate between a supporter of “ Massey the wage cutter’’ and the Labour candidate, with a vote-splitt< l r in between. Who was carrying the biggest guns for thi' Reform candidate. Air Clark? Was it the candidate himself.’ No; but the bulwark of (’apitalism, the •■Otago .Daily Tinies.” Day in and out it was sending forth its poisonous propaganda Arisrepresentation is its forte The. setting up of bogies on behalf ol the Labour candidate and then knocking tliein vlovvii again is its favourite pastime. But comrades it is in eib'etive. Tin' ‘‘Otago Daily Times” lias not uno word to say about reductions in Hie public servants’ salaries ,11 would be bad tactics on its part. Yet this paper was sereeclung tor it last January and will in all probability screech' for a reduction immediately Hie election is over. What is required is more papers like the ’’Argus’ lu slin- 1 ' back in their teeth their lies and misrepresentation. It is then that our eandidates will have the same opportunity as their oppoaenis of enterm"' the House ot Representatives. ItaHwaynien. ;■ .1 servants, on the Wt Coast, \v.i t;u\e something in vour midst that no other town in New Zealand Ims. bee to it that you appreciate it by taking a copy anil pushing its sale when ver possible. A our interest lies in lhe formation of a privvi rl’itl dnily press. Duuedia knows tliis to-day. ' livery put.lie servant felt the loss of it when the hired writers of the Capitalist papers were making the path easy for Mr Massey to cut your wages tart Jamiary. No Tirdilie servant’s house should lie without the ” Argus. ” By taking 11 ,1 ing Hie hands of the dillerent executives of the I’uldii- Service. 'I lie heads four public seiwants’ unions, i.e.. R.O.L. A.S.R.S., l’"st and Telegrn.ph Associations, have combined to stop tiie next cut. Flay your part to show the Government that if they are going to introduce class measures, tlu‘n you are going to cultivate a powerful Labour press to combat such actions.