POLITICAL RIGHTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22406, 30 April 1936, Page 13

POLITICAL RIGHTS

THE PUBLIC SERVICE EARLY ACTION PROMISED RESTORATION OF WAGES GENERAL ORDER NEXT MONTH [BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday An announcement that early action will be taken to restore the civil and political rights to civil servants was made to-day by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, in an interview. Mr. Savage said he had requested the Attorney-General, the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, to prepare a bill giving effect to that policy. " We have got to live in an atmosphere of freedom or perish as a political force," said Mr. Savage. "All the rights that civil servants previously enjoyed will be restored, and the bill will be put through the House before the adjournment, which we propose to take toward the end of May." In answer to a question as to whether civil servants would be able to form a union, Mr. Savage said the way would be clear for them to move in that direction. " They can even become members of the Reform Party if they want to," he added with a smile. The Finance Bill or some other measure containing a clause granting a full restoration of the cuts to civil servants would also appear before the recess, Mr. Savage added. Details had to be settled, but definite action would certainly be taken. There would appear simultaneously a general order restoring all salaries and wages outside the civil service to the 1931 level, irrespective of whether the workers concerned were covered by awards or not. Whgre there were awards there would be no necessity for workers to wait for a pronouncement from the Court; their wages would be restored by order of the Government. UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF PREVENTION OF ABUSE GOVERNMENT MEMBERS' VIEWS [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Wednesday The necessity for provisions making it impossible for unqualified persons to obtain aid from the unemployment fund was stressed by several speakers during the committee discussions of the Employment Promotion Bill in the House of Representatives. Government speakers acknowledged the need for some check on the activities of recipients, but stated that the questionnaires to relief workers and others would not be as "inquisitive" as they were under the last Government.

On the clause dealing with penalties for obtaining benefits by false means Mr.- S. G- Smith (Opposition—New Plymouth), a former Minister of Employment, pressed for an assurance that the Government would take every possible step to prevent abuse of that sort. He mentioned that because of the hundreds of cases of false representations the last Government had had to introduce a system of close search into the affairs of the unemployed. For that the Government had been castigated up and down the country, but some steps had had to be taken against wrongful appropriation of the funds.

The Minister of Lands, Eton. If. Langstone, denied that any proper system of searching had been objected to, but very strong objection had been taken to "Nosey Parker" questions such as those which appeared on UB forms. There was a limit to the right which the Government had to pry into anyone's private affairs.

When Mr. Smith followed up the same point later in the discussion, the Minister told him that while the Government would see that it secured the necessary information, the next UB form which went out would contain only one-third of the questions that appeared on the old form. All the objectionable questions would be removed.

McGregor fund ABOUT £3OOO TO HAND SEVERAL RETURNS AWAITED [BY TELEGRAPH —PBESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON. Wednesday The chairman of the committee in charge of the fund for the dependants of the late Squadron-Leader M. C. McGregor said to-day that there was now approximately £3OOO in the bank to the credit of the fund. Further returns had still to be received from several centres, including Southland, the West Coast, Auckland, Poverty Bay and the Wairarapa. It would be possible to make a detailed statement in a few days.