THE McCULLOUGH CASE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8935, 28 September 1907, Page 3

THE McCULLOUGH CASE.

la & House yusterdey afternoon ? Blasted the Premier if *-t vras i6,;i3 reported, that Mr-McCnl-cgh, of the railway workshops, iristeimrch, had been suspended, flic |Pri'm’cr, in the course of a igthv statement, said it was true at McUnlloiagh had boon _ susmleil. There was a rule of the iblio Service that no member or.H take an. active part iu poll’s. It was reported to Government at McCullough had moved at a iblio mooting a resolution of a poli:al character, and after lull eonleratiou tl-o Cabinet had decided at ho should be suspended and Hod upon to give reasons why nc onld not k> dismissed. The fact at the resolution unwed by Mciilough was adverse to Government i. not actuated Government _in iy way whatever. Ho added that the resolution had been iu lav our Government the action of Govcrnont would have boon the same. overn’UL'nt had to do its duty in lis matter, and if an exception had ■eamade iu one case it would have i jaako exceptions in ail eases, be only alternative was to roijpal it rr-i'i'da.i ion, No member of Uo’rnaVat would for a moment ntninrto j.i',aro McCullough or anyic'ci. ■;v.so of Ids political , , .\» ; nothin# of the iul in this :,iuvfer but the carrying r , , ; Government bH a■; ..:ai;o ii of one aw! flesh :;.])r, (-.overanieut had to do nlntv, iii this case hud done >(vithour the slightest feeling to-ar-.is .VL'dJa’hiugh or anybody else. !?v,w. m.t vi-t in a position to say ii. lis tidal decision of Governii'Uf i in. Government did :-t object to the political views of til Servants, but whilst there iro advantages iu being a Givu itvsnt thoro were also disabilities, cd on;' was that a Civil Servant rase not tsiKO an active part m Jlitics. The Premier instanced wo cases, one a telegraphist, au’her an employoo of tlio Oolouia* 6cretary's Department, in which wo public servants who had taken a active part iu supporting snpwters of Government wore ■ disliked the service. No man can iive two masters at the same time, Wed the Premier, and for that msou the rule has been laid down bt Civil Srvants must not servo on Kale bodies (with certain excepioas). Tiiis was necessary iu order tat public servants would carry out Kir duty with perfect freedom, hs was a matter entirely for Parisinent. If Parliament thought lit Igive freedom to Civil Servants iu Sitical matters the responsibility Bmld be taken off the shoulders of werument, but so long as the existed the executive toe responsible for seeing the relations were carried out.