25 June 2014 - LOVE YA WORK!

LOVE YA WORK!

G'day folks,

Today I offer another anecdote from a period in a past life.

I once worked as a senior public servant in four federal government departments in another life. One of our Minister’s was a Liberal named Billie Mackie Snedden ( Sir Billie Mackie Snedden KCMG, QC,  31^st December 1926 – 27^th June 1987) a man who went on to become the leader of the Liberal Party, became knighted by the Queen and was eventually found dead in a hotel room. Whenever a Minister visited our office, all sorts of directives were made to make his visit as pleasant as possible – trying to impress El Supremo. That included a fresh sheet of blotting paper to go into our desk pad.

       Billie Snedden arrived in my department, and it just so happened that I sat outside the Assistant Director’s office on the ground floor of the Commonwealth Centre. Back in the 70’s we had steam heaters that were bloody useless so I decided to make a stand. Just before the Minister arrived I put my scarf and overcoat on and tried to look busy. I also refused to change my blotting paper. 

       The Minister spent half an hour with the Assistant Director. When he walked out with his entourage he fortuitously stopped at my desk and asked me how I was. I politely stood up, shook his hand, introduced myself and told him how bitterly cold it was. He lived in Canberra so he knew what ‘cold’ meant. He agreed with me and asked if we had any heating at all. I mentioned the steam heaters and described how archaic they were. Boldly, I informed him that I was president of the social club and, that our committee had considered running a raffle to raise funds to provide a better heating system. Shocked by that suggestion, he looked around the office and promised to look into the matter. In fact, he looked at his Chief of Staff and asked him to make a note of it. By the way, his Chief of Staff later became the permanent head of the department.

       Being fairly upfront at a young age, I grabbed the opportunity and asked the Minister if he would attend our annual ball to be held in two months time. One of his underlings checked his diary and replied, ‘Yes, he will be here.’ That made me grin. Having the Minister turn up at the annual ball was a great draw card for all the wimps in the department. It meant we would sell heaps of tickets because the wimps loved to be seen and photographed with the Minister. I personally didn’t give a rat’s. I mean, he had his job, so did I. We are all working for a common cause, right?

       As the Minister was about to walk off I pointed to my scruffy blotting pad. ‘Sir, you’ve probably noticed that my blotting pad is not fresh like the others … But I’m sure you’re concerned about more important issues like adequate heating for your staff.’ He glanced at my blotting pad, covered in notes and coffee stains and grinned. ‘See you at the annual ball, Sir,’ I added. Mr Snedden shook my hand, winked and left. 

 Weeks later, maintenance guys appeared on the ground floor. Within a week we had a suitable heating system installed. Several months later the Minister attended our annual ball. Surprise, surprise, he recalled my name. On behalf of my fellow colleagues I thanked him for the magnificent heating system on the ground floor of the Commonwealth Centre and presented him with a rolled up, brand new piece of blotting paper. On the back of it I signed my name and wrote three words that I've become famous for - ‘Love ya work!’ He laughed loudly. 

Clancy's comment: Billie Mackie Snedden was a good bloke.  He was one of the better politicians to deal with. Tomorrow I offer a full post on this interesting character. By the way, he has often been referred to as 'Billy' and 'Billie'.

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R I P 

SIR BILLIE MACKIE SNEDDEN

24 May 2014 - ABRAHAM LINCOLN

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

G'day folks,

Welcome to some facts about a famous American president - Abraham Lincoln.

"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds.... "

- Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was born Feb 12, 1809, in Hardin Country, Kentucky. His family upbringing was modest; his parents from Virginia were neither wealthy or well known. At an early age, the young Abraham lost his mother and his father moved away to Indiana. Abraham had to work hard splitting logs and other manual labour. But, he also had a thirst for knowledge and worked very hard to excel in his studies. This led him to become trained as a lawyer. He spent  eight years working on the Illinois court circuit; his ambition, drive and capacity for hard work were evident to all around him. He also had a good sense of humour and was depreciating about his looks.

“If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?” 

He married Mary Todd and had four children, although three died before reaching maturity.

As a lawyer, Abraham developed a great capacity for quick thinking and oratory. His interest in public issues encouraged him to stand for public office. In 1854 he was elected to the House of Representatives and he tried to gain nomination for the Senate in 1858. Although he lost this election, his debating skills caused him to become well known within the Republican party. In particular, during this campaign he gave one of his best remembered speeches.

'A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become lawful in all the States, old as well as new — North as well as South.'

In this House divided speech, Lincoln gave a prophetic utterance to the potential for slavery to divide the nation.

The reputation he gained on the campaign trail caused him to be elected as Republican nominee for President in 1860.

The election of Lincoln as President in 1861, sparked the South to succeed from the North. Southern independence sentiment had been growing for many years and the election of a president opposed to slavery was the final straw. However, Lincoln resolutely opposed the breakaway of the South and so this led to the American civil war. The civil war was much more costly than many people anticipated and at times Lincoln appeared to be losing the support of the general population. But, he managed to keep the Republican party together, stifling dissent by promoting the various Republican factions into the cabinet. Lincoln oversaw many of the military aspects of the war and promoted the general Ulysses S Grant to oversee the northern forces.

Initially the war was primarily about succession and the survival of the Union, but as the war progressed Lincoln increasingly made the issue of ending slavery paramount. To Lincoln, slavery was fundamentally wrong.

“Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.” 

On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued his memorable Emancipation Proclamation that declared the freedom of slaves within the Confederacy.

"... all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons,..."
 
Eventually, after four years of attrition, the Federal forces secured the surrender of the defeated south. Lincoln had saved the union and also brought to head the end of slavery.
Dedicating the ceremony at Gettysburg on November 19, 1863, Lincoln declared:

"that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." 

Lincoln was tragically assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, an actor on, April 14, 1865. He is widely regarded as one of America’s most influential and important presidents. As well as saving the union, Lincoln was viewed as embodying the ideals of honesty and integrity.

Clancy's comment: I recall very clearly one early morning in Washington DC, standing for the first time at the Lincoln Memorial. An eerie silence pervaded the air as I glanced up at the wise-looking man sitting in a chair - A wise human rights activist.

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Think about this!

R.I.P