PUBLIC SERVANTS AND POLITICS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 5 October 1907, Page 1

PUBLIC SERVANTS AND POLITICS.

In dealing editorially with the recen dismissal of Mr McCullough from th public service owing to his taking pa; in politics, the "Pest" states : "It do-r not greatly matter what Mr McCullough, as Mr McCullough, believes ( docs not believe. It matters mu:.h th:--Mr McCnllough, as an employee in th public railway service, should public! denounce the general administrati"n < wiiich the railway service is a pint. limay be right or wrong — it is of no im portance. What is of importance i the discipline cf railway servants ail' ■ others paid by public money to d« I public work. Upon that discipline d< i ponds the efficiency cf the public sei I vice, and th.V.- efficiency is the first thinj I to consider.. j Of course, in Now Zealand, under th i ignoble system of Ministerial intrigue from which happily we are passing, th j intrusion of public servants into poli'ic i has been far from uncommon. We hay' ' been used to see patronage given in re j turn for support, and to know vot-r purchased by salary and promotior | Ministerial supporters have been enroui i aged to stop from a Government d^s' ito a public platform, while Minist-e:i.i I opponents have scarcely dared to rip" ' th"ir Government employment upon th ' supposed secresy of the ballot-box. Br the bad practice 'of a. bad era is not * be pled against the definite rules wh'c' it is the duty of evory civil servant t i know and observe. j The particular offence which ha; | brought Mr McCullongli's contumacy U I a head consisted in moving, at a Politi i cal Labour League meeting held a' j Christchurch on sth September, this re I solution: — "This branch of the Indepen i dent Political Labour League, after close study of the measures introduce by the Ward Ministry, solemnly rr sincerely declares its conviction tir the timo has gone by when woi Ir< r should attach any faith to promts' made hy the Liberal party, or by tb Liberals of the Liberal party for tin moas'iros of reform so long advoca-'c and this league therefor? urges all th-r who h.ive arrived at the same conclus!--to rally round the Labour party of th colony, which has determined to cr.r test every seat for which a suitable ear didate can he obtained, with the objer of securing from Parliament the just:denied by both the old political part'*of the colony." And Ml- McCullough i now called upon to choose whether h will be a public servant or a politic.! agitator, seeing that in the public ir terests he cannot remain both. His case of course, is singular only in the notriety it has attained, and his particnl>>opinions make no difference to the nil under which he is dealt with. Cmr" quently the rule is based upr-n somi' sense and the general in teres-' : unqir--tionab.ly the Executive has the obligation to uphold it. The "Post" hopes tha' already he has realised his error, anr" is prepared, as far as possible, in makamends. Then it- will be within th' province of the board of inquiry U consider whether, in view of Mr Mc Cnllough's good character and long service, it may be possible to recomn^n'' some course of action which shall n'-' in his particular case involve the high est penalty.