DISFRANCHISE THE CIVIL SERVANTS

Maoriland Worker, Volume 12, Issue 303, 20 December 1922, Page 1

DISFRANCHISE THE CIVIL SERVANTS

WHAT A TORY EDITOR SAID

The Tories are great on disfraneMsemeiit. If anyone diners with them' about a *war they disfranchise him. If workers strike, many of- them immediately shriek for disfranchisement because allegedly the strikers are "disloyal" to the country. If a candidate dares to oppose a Tory Speaker, a Tory Minister will jump up and declare that a Speaker should be allowed to hold his seat without a contest, thus disfranchising all his opponents. Disfranehisement is a : mania with these gentlemen. Naturally, therefore, when the .toilers commit lese majesty by throwing out a Tory Government, the shellbacks fly to their, usual resort. If only they could, deprive the workers of their votes* things- wsuld be "better thaw well,, and the solution of their problems would be easy? Mr. Massey's friends are now talking, behind the scenes in favour of disfranchising the Civil Servants. And one candid Tory editor (the "Rangitikei Advocate," 8/12/22) has Jet the cat out of the bag. Listen to what he says on the results of the elections:— "The results indicate the difi ficulty that besets any demoI cratic Government • which uj faced by the stern necessity of I reducing expenditure, and has to cut down the cost-of administration, while those employed in administering possess votes. The effect is precisely the same as it would be IF THE EM- | PLOYEES OF A, COMPANY HAD THE VOTING POWERS OF SHAREHOLDERS WHEN THE -MANAGEMENT FOUND IT NECESSARY TO •CUT DOWN 'EITHER THE WAGES OR THE NUMBERS OF THE STAFF. In addition to this cause of lessened popularity, the Arbitration Court's reduction of the bonus operated against the Reform Party, for it was deftly used by opponents to convey a false impression that Government was desirous of reducing wages. The lesson of these two things is. that sooner or later THE PUBLIC SERVICES WILL HAVE TO BE DISFRANCHISED- IF PUBLIC SAFETY IS TO BE ASSURED". . . Now, Civil Servants, you know what's coining to you, if by any chance the Massey Party ever! gets a substantia! majority again, j Here we have a Tory editor wishing to disfranchise 50,000 workers, and we know that Mr. R. Aγ Wright, M.P., when thanking electors for electing him to Parliame»t| snarled that the labour leaders should be "drummed out of the. country" and that the "Union bosses would have to go too." . :■- ■ : ...... .-. ;. ■ i If this is how they talk in public what -must they "be saying in j their clubs and caucuses?