SALARY AND POLITICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20081, 19 October 1928, Page 17

SALARY AND POLITICS.

PUBLIC SERVANTS' POSITION.

UNAUTHORISED CIRCULARS.

ISSUE PROMPTLY FORBIDDEN. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT,] CHIiISTCHURCH, Thursday. Circulars calling a meeting of Christchurch public servants for this evening to consider forcing the hands of the Government regarding an increase of salaries in (lie public service l>v voting against the Government were drawn up and printed by members of the Public Service Association not on the executive and without the authority of cither the president, or the secretary of the association. According to statements made yesterday these circulars were never sont out, with the exception of two, which were recalled, but one was taken from the room where they were printed.

No members received notices of a meeting and one did not eventuate this evening. A meeting of the association will be called for early next week, but 110 motion as contained in the circular will be put. Mr. P. Jones, president of the Christchurch branch of the New Zealand Public Service Association, explained tho history of the case. Tho association, he said, was not, and never could be, other than a non-political body. After the rise in salary had been given to tho Police Force tho Prime Minister had been approached bv tho association and asked for an increase in tho salary of public servants. The Prime Minister replied that the police were not public servants and that therefore tho increase did not apply to the Public Service generally. He hinted at an improvement in next year's regrading scale.

The question was discussed at an executive meeting in Christchurch and there was a demand then for a special general meeting to discuss tho matter. Mr. Jones, as chairman, refused to give his sanction for a special meeting until he had consulted tho Wellington Association. Tho reply 110 was that if such a meeting were resolving itself into one of a political nature opposing tho aim of tho association the Dominion executive would refuse to sanction it.

Realising tho dangerous nature of the contents of the circular and that the procedure was in direct opposition to the association's policy Mr. Jones completely dissociated himself as president from it and placed a veto on the issue of the circulars.

Tho secretary of the Christ church branch of the association, Mr. R. G. Morrison, said the circulars were not drafted or printed by him, or with his authority. They were sent to him for distribution, but he refused to send them out in the form in which they were drafted. As a protest, ho resigned, as he disapproved of them as soon as he saw them. Tlicy were drafted and printed by some member of the association not on the executive.