“FREE” SPEECH.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 3107, 28 December 1921, Page 5

“FREE” SPEECH.

THE QUEENSLAND WAY. RIGHTS OF CIVIL SERVANTS. ROCK HA AII’TON, Dec. 10. Until the advent of the Labour Government. civil servants in this Slate were debarred from taking part in any shape or form in polities, and dared not express any opinion, favourable or unfavourable,• to the Government. Caucus altered all this, and the civil servants swamped the workers’ political organisations, which boasted of having even police magistrates among members. When the civil servants criticised the Government, however, they found free speech did not exist. Captain Rhodes, harbourmaster in Rockhampton, made a speech against the abolition of the Legislative Council, and immediately after he received notice of transfer to Thursday Island. Rhodes had a distinguished war service record, principally on convoy work in the Mediterranean and at the famous Atranto barrage. In two years he was Iwicc transferred from Townsville to Rockhampton and now to Thursday Island, involving a loss of £7O a year. Captain Rhodes, however, resigned ratherthan go to Thursday Island, and in a public statement lie gives Mr Eihelly, head of the Marine Department, some hard knocks. He expresses regret at leaving the service. “There are still cases in this district whore accommodation for light keepers and their families is crude and quite unsuited for exposed positions, and altogether incomparable with the accommodation for public servants nearer town, and where natural disabilities are immeasurably loss, ho says. “It. is no breach of official procedure to disclose this, as it is there for anyone to see.”