PRACTICE CONDEMNED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17958, 9 December 1932, Page 5

PRACTICE CONDEMNED

STATE APPOINTMENTS RETIRED CIVIL SERVANTS WARNING TO GOVERNMENT (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. After receiving outspoken warnings from two of its supporters that the continued appointment of retired public servants to salaried positions would send the Coalition to political disaster, the Government in the House this morning escaped defeat bv three votes on the clause in the Appropriation Bill authorising payments, in addition to his full retiring allowance, to Air. Waiter Newton, late Secretary of Labor, for his services as Conciliation Commissioner. Voting against their party were Messrs. R. A. Wright, A. J. Stallworthy, A. Harris, M. Holland, and H. S. S. Kyle, from the Coalition benches. Mr. Wright was the first to throw down the gauntlet to his leader and warn the Government as to the public reaction to such appointments. This was followed by a vigorous attack on the principle by Labor speakers, although all made it clear that they had nothing against Mr. Newton personally, and an intimation by the Hon. A. Hamilton, Minister in charge, that the position was purely temporary, and if .the House objected to it it could terminate the appointment. It was strongly represented that the policy of appointing retired public servants to other positions was an insult to the rest of the men in the Public Service, and grossly unfair to other qualified men whose only subsistence came from spasmodic relief work. HEADING FOR DESTRUCTION

Surprise was expressed by Mr. W. E. Parry (Labor, Auckland C.) that Government members were submitting to the proposal so tumidly, and then Air. Wright caught the chairman’s eye. “1 think some members of ttie Government party should warn the Prime Minister that the Coalition is realty going headlong into destruction over matters such as these,” declared Air. Wright. “It is a pity members cannot get some indication of the public feeling concerning these question. What has been said by Opposition members is quite true. Everywhere I go I find the place reeking with cases of retired public servants who have been given other positions. In this case the appointment must have been illegal, otherwise the clause would not be m the bill now before the House.

‘‘Reeking is the word,” commented Air. Parry. “Every time I have seen Coalition Governments it has been exactly like this,” continued Mr. Wright, still speaking vehemently. “The Prime Minister in the previous Coalition was unable to control the other leader of the National Government, and there was trouble always. It is always the same. “IT IS A SCANDAL” “I would like the Government to read the history of the French revolution and sep. the cause of that. It was exactly the state of affairs we are permitting—one section of the community living in luxury and the other section in semistarvation.” (Labor “Hear hears). Air. Wright said there were on relief works to-day, professional men such as chemists and others who some time ago were earning £IOOO a year. Sunny some of them could undertake Conciliation Council work

“No,” ho added, thumping his desk to. “It is the same old thing. The Broadcasting Board has taken on a retired public servant and given him the position of engineer. It is the same all the way through, and it is a scandal, (Loud Labor “Hear, hears.”) Defending the appointment of Mr. Newton, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes said it was highly important that an officer experienced in arbitration and conciliation work should be in charge, since the aim of the Government was tc ensure that the new system bad every chance of succeeding. PRINCIPLE APPROVED

Turning to Mr. Wright, he said there would have been a storm of protest if a chemist, or some other business man without the necessary qualifications, had been selected, and he had been responsible for the creation of trouble as a result of his inexperience. There was a danger of money being lost if badfeeling were aroused in conciliation councils to the detriment of settlmeut prospects. Mr. Forbes contended that in the special circumstances the appointment of Mr. Newton was a wise move. He agreed with the principle that where it could be avoided retired public servants should not receive additional appointments. “Why not stop it then?” demanded Mr. A. S. Richards (Lab., Roskill). Mr. Forbes, again turning to Mr. Wright, insisted that the question of qualifications was largely a matter of opinion. In his opinion it would have been false economy to have done otherwise than appoint Air. Newton. According to Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Coal., Riccarton), it would be the last straw if a lot of heads of departments were going to be appointed to other positions when they retired. Mr. A. Harris (Coal., Waitemata) described the principle as most vicious. He objected to things being done in that way. POLITICAL DISASTER “Is a qualification for a position going to be that a man must be a member ot a certain party?” asked Air. F. Jones (Lab., Dunedin S.), after being checked for saying that a commissioner recently appointed had been a Reform candidate for Parliament. “Is it necessary that a man must have had political electioneering experience?” The Hon. A. Hamilton said the appointment of Mr. Newton threw no additional weight on the superannuation fund. It was expected that he would be kept on until the middle of January. Mr. Jones: What were Mr. Ritchies qualifications? The Minister: He is a business man and solicitor, and is well qualified. Mr. Jones: But be was a Reform candidate.

Mr. Hamilton, who paid a tribute to Mr. Newton, lepcaled that il there were objections be could be. asked to retire. Mr. A. J. Stull worthy (Coal., Eden) warned the Government that it could only go as far as public opinion would allow it to go. He assured the Government that although the item was a small one the appointment was resented right throughout the country. He could not honestly vote in support of it, and he was Ixnuid to identify himself with the Opposition on the vote. Air. Wright declared that persistence in such poliev would ’’ring p Utica I disaster, but apparently the Oov-rnm m' desired to go on in the same d r’ctvm and could not bo stopped. On a division the danse was retained by 32 votes to 29.

Women. Before Airs, 'l<-f)<- ■*•• 'il ■ • appointed, the four Dunedin members were consulted, and it was generally recognised that Airs. McDonald had rendered unique social service. He denied that there was any suggestion of political color in the appointments.