HOLIDAY PAY

Timaru Herald, Volume CLI, Issue 22203, 21 February 1942, Page 6

HOLIDAY PAY

Service Objectors Position Of Teachers Payment for holidays for a teacher removed from his position because of conscientious objection to military service was opposed by some members of the Wellington Education Board The board had considered rulings given by the Education Department, and the matter was brought forward again by Mr T. W. McDonald while the board was in open meeting. “This is a premium that is offered to conscientious objectors to le conscientious objectors,” said Mr McDonald, “and is diametrically opposed to winning the war. Under this proposal we will give a month’s' leave on pay to all conscientious objectors and then give them holiday pay in accordance with their past service." It was the bounden duty of the board to put the conscientious objector teacher in his correct place; in gaol or at the front, he added. Instead they were saying they would pay him for holidays in accordance with his service. While the men overseas were giving their lives the conscientious objectors were being kept in comfort with the right to come back to their work in full health after the war was over.

“I believe the press are taking notes,” said Mr C. H. Nicholls. "Will the press be seized of the facts in the memorandum we had from the Department last night?” Mr McDonald: Don’t try to get out of it. Don't try to work that stunt. Mr Nicholls: Look, other people are as wise as you are. If this is to be published it should all be published. The chairman, Mr W. V. Dyer, said the memoranaum would be made available to the press. Mr McDonald said he had moved that the board should not accede to the Department's request. The chairman said there was no record of such a motion. Mr A. Donald said he would move it, and Mr T. K. Moody seconded No Repudiation Tire chairman said he had no sympathy with conscientious objectors, but he did not agree that the board should repudiate contracts and do things It had no right to do. It could not be said that the conscientious objectors would come back to their work with unimpaired health, because the regulations provided that their positions were to be reviewed at the end of the war. They might never come back to the schools. The holiday pay proposed was what they had earned up to the time of dismissal, and it would be un-British to deprive even a conscientious objector of what he had earned. Mr Donald: That's what was done to the volunteers. If that was so it should not I ave been done, sai 1 Mr Dyer. The motion was rejected and Mr McDonald then moved that the matter should be referred back to the Department. This was seconded by Mr Moody, but was rejected by six votes to four. The memorandum from the Department stated that teachers who had received one month's notice were entitled to holiday pay up to the time when the month’s notice expired. The regulations ceased to apply when the teacher accepted service with the armed forces and was attested