PUBLIC SERVANTS AND THE SECOND CUT.

NZ Truth, Issue 868, 15 July 1922, Page 12

PUBLIC SERVANTS AND THE SECOND CUT.

Dear "Truth,"— The remarks attributed to the Public Service delegate for South Canterbury, as reported m the daily papers, made at the annual conference of the Public Service Association, . are typical of the ..cultured leaders of the Public Servants to-day. In order to fully appreciate such remarks one should possess a right notion of the Public Service. In a commercial concern it can, with reason..able accuracy, be said that /every one starts at the bottom of the ladder, and the same applies more or less to the Public Service, but with this fundamental difference, that ,the Service has no rungs. The reason, of .course, is obvious, and the novice; soon after making the discovery, adapts' himself to suit the conditions — a thought flashes through his brain as to why this art a la centipede was not included m the High School curriculum. (The Public Servants do not form part of the public-bipeds with whom they mingle, and this is probably the, reason.) They all start off with only two legs, and some through, maybe, a kink m their anatomy, can acquire no more, and their prospects of climbing the l ladder- jonly a little less than Bill Massey's at the next General Election. Their task is made still . harder by the of the crawling species— if is an enigma how to endeavor to remain a man and progress on the ladder, as the ground under one's feet is continually moving. A few years of this difficult existence leaves one only a" small percentage true to the biped species, but the fact remains that there are some— all low salaried— and, being on their feet, . they get most of the ;\vhip when the Big Boss- makes a cut. By the time the flail reaches the likes of our worthy South Canterbury delegate, who, being so far up. the' ladder, it causes, merely a tickling sensation, while this delegate's ooze, taking the form of the pusillanimous _ speech above referred to, is good for an additional million legs. It is pleasing to note that he also made reference to the eruptions m the thermal district, because he knows that such eruptions,, intensified a thousand times, will never shake ;him and his kind off that gadder. As far as the amalgamation with the Alliance is concerned, such a proceeding is ridiculed by them under the giiise of patriotism, etc., while the true, motive is to make more" secure their* own positions at the expense of those beneath them.' If .they are : satisfied that such sentimental twaddle expresses the voice of ' the majority of, Public Servants m this matter, then put it to a genuine secret ballot. — I am, etc., , -_ . "CLASS VII."-