NEW ZEALAND LEGION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 116, 19 May 1933, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND LEGION

CIVIL SERVANTS BARRED COMMISSIONER'S STATEMENT DR. CAMPBELL BEGG'S REPLY. [ Per Press Association. I MASTERTON, May 18. A statement published in a Wellington paper that the Public Service Commissioner had stated that no publicservant would be permitted to join the New Zealand Legion, was referred to to-night by Dr. Campbell Begg, president of the Legion. Dr. Begg said he was anxious to have the position cleared up at once. He had no doubt that the national council of the Legion would consider the position earnestly and with full consideration of the Government’s point of view, and if satis-, tied that the objection to civil servants joining the movement was based on solid grounds, would form an auxiliary iu which there could be no possible objection to membership. The Legion’s position would undoubtedly be.: (1) That civil servants should not be interfered with. (2) That the country should not be deprived of the constructive thought which existed in the civil service and which might find no effective channel at present. (3) That nothing should be done to undermine the zeal and loyalty of public servants to the State, but rather that it should be fostered, whatever the individual’s viewpoint was. Recent history had produced examples in which suspicion arose that in certain countries governments in power might attempt to use the public service and its vote to strengthen their own position. He felt certain that this danger had only to be mentioned to let those in power in New Zealand see how imperative it was to make clear their attitude in the matter so that no action, however well conceived in Itself. should be open to false interpretation by those, most concerned.