POSTAL OFFICIALS AND WAR SERVICE.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16853, 5 June 1920, Page 9

POSTAL OFFICIALS AND WAR SERVICE.

QUESTION OF HALF-PAY.

(pees?? association telegram.) AUCKLAND, June 4. Ih-e unrest in the Post and Telegrapii Department, was the subject of some remarks by the Postmaster-General (the Hon. J. G. Coates) to-day. He said that the officials' claims would be dealt with as soon as consideration of the railwaymen'iS case' had been concluded. Referring more particularly to tho mand by many members of the Post &nd Telegraph service who went, to the war as active combatants to bo placed on an equal footing with others who joined the postal and signalling corps', and in consequence received half civilian pay, the Minister said ho sympathised with those who had not received half pay. It was a very unfair tiling to make this difference, and obviously the grant of half pay to one section of the service and not to the other should not have been made. It was done, and there was an end of it. "So fax as I am concerned," added Mr Coates, "I would be pleased if I could place all the men on an equal footing, but the Government has considered the matter on several occasions, .ind the position is that we cannot make the concession. Personally I would certainly like to see those men who fought in the ranks get half their civil pay, be- , cause I think they deserve it more than I men who went away with the postal corns, that is. having regard to the I difference in their duties. I say this I as a matter of principle, not -hat_li agree with the era n ting ff civil pay in the first instance."