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CIVIL SERVANTS.
RIGHT TO STAND POR PAR
LIAMENT.
Bill Defeated in Upper House.
A bill to give railway employes and
other civil servants a right to -stand for
Parliament without having to resign- from
the service was discussed yesterday m
the Legislative Council. The measure had
been received from the Legislative 'Assem
bly, . where- it had been introduced by
Mr. Brownhill.
In moving . the second Tending of the
bill, Mr. 'Disney said he knew of no.
reason why civil servants should not be.
entitled to the same rights and privileges
as- those enjoyed by every- other member
of the public. With their expert know-
ledge, .civil servants, particularly some
of those high up in the service, would
be invaluable in Parliament. Organisa
tions representing 50,000 civil servants
had. passed resolutions advocating .. the
right for civil servants to enter Parlia
ment. Surely good public servants could
be trusted- to become politicians; The
embargo preventing civil ' servants from
standing for Parliament' made many able
young men hesitate- before they would
join .the public service. Civil servants
should not be denied the privileges granted
to other citizens. (Hear, hear.)
The Minister of Forests (Mr. Richard
son) said he ieit that if the House passed
the mousure it- would make a' very grave
mistake. When lie 'first entered Parlia
ment there waa a member in each House
representing the civil servunt3. Ho did
,")v 'v I'y that representation was
abolished.
Mr. McNumara: There was considerable
agitation to have it abolished.
Tile Minister suid he would rather sec
that system — by which the civil servants
ot the fetate elected their own represen
tative, and did not vote in their own
electorates— than the introduction of i.the,
proposal in the hill. He aid not tliink
any iinunoinl institution would allow its
servants to stand for Parliament. He
certainly would not allow any of his em
ployes to do so, because "/ he did lie
would get very little work from them
for six -months before the election.
. Mr. Disney: 1 would not like to work'
loi you. j.llov urn ulitvnu in iumi
The Minister said he did not think any
common-sense community would allow its
civil servants to stand for Parliament, as
proposed -in the bill. When a civil ser
vant' desired to stand for Parliament hei
resigned irom the service, and if he. were
defeated he could apply for reinstatement.'
if lie played the game during the elec-'
Lion he .was taken back into the service.'
injustice was dune.
Mr. Williams said the sneecli . by the
Minister of Forests was ' the most con
servative he had ever henni. In support-'
mg the bill, he Mr. Willinms) was np-:
neahng Jor justice, not privileges, for;
the pubhc servants." ;
Mr. Kiernan said the silence of Go
vernment members indicated tlmt they'
were going to slaughter the bill.
Mr. Williams said it was evident that
Government supporters in the Lower
House who did not have the courage to.
vote against the bill were relying "ou
their colleagues in the Council to reject'
fchn mnnsmrn
Mi-. Edgar paid he could not see the'
slightest need for the . bill. The superan
nuation Bill had removed, all. discontent
from the civil service.
Mr. .Uerritt said lie knew -of no reason
why civil servants should hnve greater
disabilities than other, members of tile
community had. : There lvere many, pub
lic servants who would -Be ornaments in
Parliament, and lie Would not. vote against
such men hnving the opportunity to enter
Parliament. (Hear, hear.)
Tlie motion for thcWcond reading was
defeated by 12 votes to 7. The - voting
was:— For the Motion: Messrs. Cohen,
Disney, Kiernan. McNamara, Merritt,
Sternberg nnd Williams. Against the Mo
tion: Messrs. Angliss, Chandler, Crockett,
Edgar, Goudie, Harris, Hitchcock, McGre-;
gor, Richardson, . Saltnu, . White and!
Zwar.
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