OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 231, 1 October 1941, Page 3

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

QUESTION OF ENFORCING IN PUBLIC SERVICE U.S.A. AND ATTORNEY-GENERAL i EXCHANGE VIEWS. ; (Press Assn.) Wellington, Sept. 30. [ An exchange of letters between the _ Dominion executive committee of the ! New Zcaand Returned Soldiers’ Association and the Attorney-General. , the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, on the subi ject of debarring from the public service all who will not lake the oath I of allegiance and dismissing those who will not reaffirm their loyalty, has now reached the stage where the Dominion executive committee has informed Mr. Mason that it does not : consider his reply to its previous letter 1 to be fair and reasonable, it further 1 asked the Attorney-General if he be--1 lieved in the principle which was the subject of the correspondence and, if ' so, said that the association expected L ' to see it enforced. * The Dominion council of the asso- " ciation at a meeting in May. 1941, " adopted the following resolution: * ‘That all persons refusing to affirm s their loyalty to the Crown should be * debarred from employment in public ; services, and all employees at present 1 in such senices refusing to affirm ? their loyally be dispensed with immediately." This resolution was forwarded to ' the Attorney-General in July, and he J replied:— Persons of Doubtful Loyalty. "The reference to Crown employee* > not affirming their loyally is a question for the Public Service Commissioner. I believe that it is now some [ considerable time since he look steps i to see that persons of doubtful loyalty ; were not employed by the Crown.” The Dominion executive committee . of the association, after considering this reply, requested the Dominion . president to interview the Attorney- : General, and to inform him that the N.Z.R.S.A. considered that the affirmation of loyally to the Crown was a question of Government policy and not a question for the Public Service Commissioner. The Attorney-General. . when interviewed, agreed that the question was one of Government policy, but slated that the Public Service Commissioner was carrying out this policy. During the consideration of this further reply by the Dominion executive committee, it was pointed out that the Public Service Commissioner did not control all the Slate Departments. The attention of lhe AttorneyGeneral was drawn to this fact, with ■ lhe request that he should take the 1 necessary action to ensure that all of the employees of the specific depart- ‘ menu mentioned conformed with the text of lhe resolution previously quoted. Attorney-Generai’.s Reply. The Attorney-General, in his rpely to this request, stated: "I am in receipt of your letter of August 26, referring to mine of July i. and note your resolution and your request that 1 should take ceriain action relating to Government employees. If you know of an employee in respect of whom question may properly be raised. I have no doubt that upon your furnishing particular* to lhe Minister or other authority who employs him your representations in respect of that employee will have attention." This letter was dealt with by the Dominion executive committee at a I recent meeting. The following reply to lhe Attorney-General was decided upon: "Further lo this associations letter of September 12 acknowledging receipt of your communication of Augusl 9. h is now advised that the Dominion executive committee considered your reply at its meeting held on September 23. 'lhe writer was directed lo inform you that your letter is not a fair and reasonable reply lo this associations letter of Augusl 26; that it surely is wholly unreasonable lo ask liiis association to supply lhe particulars mentioned by you; that lh?s asso< iation desires lo know whether you approve lhe principle: •That all persons refusing to affirm their loyalty lo lhe Crown should be debarred from employment in public services, and all employees al. present in such services refusing to affirm their loyalty, be dispensed with im- : mediately. If so, this association ex- | peels to see that this principle is enforced."