A LUNCH-HOUR TALK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16902, 29 November 1922, Page 8

A LUNCH-HOUR TALK.

DR THACKER AMONG THE WORKERS. ** There is a big movement through out the Dominion just now. Be n Liberal. Liberal-Labour, or Labour, it is anti-Massey. Tf Mr Massey doe* i not go into political oblivion he will ! have to fight p much stronger opposii ion than in 1 lie past." said Dr H. i i . Thacker to a meeting oi railway ; i men in Carlyle Street. .Sydenham, this : afternoon ! •• I am anti-Massey." the candidate . went on I am against his patronf age of the people who have the big f position- h i go hack to Wcl- ; liiigton I do not mind who I find 1 n i the Opposition !obl>\ I make no dis crimination, because the other man in ; ihe House ha< oft>t there nr honourable methods, and lie ha- just as mucii right to vote for what ho thinkright and prupci as the other fellow •• | belief *• i liar ill,- Civil Servant* of the Dominion mould have lull poli tieal rights Combinations of workers are the only method the workers hav to defend them**dves. whether those workers are Civil Servant, or privat employees in city industries “ PlainK understand that on ever; occasion during the retrenchment cur 1 n mI against the Bills in Parliament Ic you look through the re cords *i Parliament you will find :, i the la-' two sessions and tlic- se-spiou before I was only iri the lobby with Mr Ma>sey once. On that occasion ! voted to send the soldiers to fight tin Turks, and that decision was later backed up by the f-plendid response .>? young men. • In th* Finance Retrenchment Bill there D a hardship clause. and under ; , that clause am man who thinks that he i- badly treated tan apply to the department to have his case beard ! lelievc that there has not been one (Bsc dealt with satisfactorily under that claii'C I stated in the Hons ■ that it was not fair that anv Civil Servant should have to go to the Gov •rnmont and a s k that he practically be given charity. The wages ot the • State servants should be their right and it is not a necessity that t-hev should be. continually inquired into. “ That hardship clause, doe.- net re- : lei u r the top men in the Department The salaries of the some 123 highest paid, officials have not been cut and the men are actually receiving more to <ta\ than before the cut. They have lad increments. 1 voted against the <uts every time, and if I go back r<» Wellington I aril going to vote* against j such cuts every time so far as the civil servants are concerned. •■There* are men who retired from the service before the war and got superannuation on a pre-war basis They have had to cany on since then, but the rates should be readjusted. Some of th*' superannuated ser- : vants get up to £7OO and £BOO a year. I hat. to mv mind, is too much when ; you consider the casual man. Casual* j v.ho were recently put off at Adding- ; ton lx-ause they* were getting too old pot no superannuation at. all. I think ! t! at i lie ordinary casuals, after the - ' ! have done five years* continuous ser- \ vice, should h«* made permanents, and ii.cn they would get superannuation iust the same as the others. It, would j not give them lc.-s than £l5O a year. j At. the exhibition opening the Hon I' P. Lee said that everything that i . ould be produced in this country | .should be encouraged to do awav with I unemployment. His Government hadJ given contracts abroad for 500 to 7000 j trucks tbat could be made just as well j here. It has gone away to get twont \ ■ * thirty locomotives costing up to I L 17.000 each. It- paid Sir Duncan El- : ta-i.mx* to supervise the mAtoriul in the Old Country! Everyone should be able to earn j enough m oik- day to pat- his week I \ rent. Lhe Xortheote ,Sett-lement is m farce and a fraud. It is insanitarv. It I should be hrougiu up date, and the nuts should be reasonable. A voice; Plie Waimairi Ooiuitv Conn- «' • i' i* blccking the sewerage ' ; : '• Ordinary widow*' pensions should I h. on ii par pensions.’- j The huge meeting was very attentive j V ‘l'*' eonclnsion and vote of i i- iiiiKs and eonfidenee was carried bv -i i '" nrn ; ” Vves - to which one soli- j - N*> "yvas returned. j •• < ..me over here and I'll c i TP v „„ j -cliicthing for your cold." -aid tin- Doc. ! 1 1 Jtcnnillv, amid laughter —