THE POSTAL SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 19, 17 October 1907, Page 9

THE POSTAL SERVICE

AUCKLAND COMPLAINT CRITICISED. v t A REVIEW OF SALARIES AND WORK. t t (By an Ex-Officer.) a "The Dunedin Branch Committee of the j *lew Zealand Post and Telegraph Officers' Vssociation held a meeting this evening, and msscd a resolution expressing strong disapiroval of the indiscreet and ill advised action < if an Auckland officer, who caused to be pubished a statement of alleged grievances exist- ] ng in the' department. The Committee at- i irmed its confidence in the present Adminis- i ration, especially, in view of the numerous { once'ssions recently granted, and expressed the . iclief that any existing anomalies will be re- [ noved by the proposed amended Classification , \ct. The meeting urged the executive of the issociation to take an early opportunity of con ' lemning the injudicious proceedings referred 1 o."—Press Association Telegram. i The recent crying of a voice in the wilder- ] loss of the north has not been unentertain- i lig if not absolutely amusing to ono who '• mows the "innards" of the service as th<> vritorc lainis to do. The wail about tho : shocking conditions prevalent in the service i s evidently not approved by the whole of 1 ;he service, as witness the above telegram ' :rom Dunedin, and Wellington officers seem 'airly well content with their lot, though they lave some hot times on occasions. If any- ■ me will turn back the file of The Dominion io will see only a few days back a ' com- ; mrison between the salaries paid to postal i md railway officials, much, I think (and evi- : lently the writer thought), to the advan- i .age of the Post Office. I will go further, md give the salaries paid each class in inch division of the service, and touch lightly lpon the duties : involved. The following ;ist tells its own story 'FIRST: DIVISION. Secretary, £800; superintendent, £750; issistant secretary, £71)0. Their high reipoflsibilities need not be enlarged upon. CLERICAL DIVISION. First Class, First Grade.-*-From £470 to £500, by two annual increments of £15 each. This grade includes inspectors of telegraphs, ;hief. electrician, chief clerk, G.P.0., and jfficers , in charge of the larger telegraph jffices. . ' ' \ ' First Class, Second Grade.—From £420 to £450, by two aunudl increments of £15 each. This grade includes officers in charge of telegraph offices, and inspector, of telegraphs, Dhnstchurch. Second Class.—From £370 to £400, by two annual increments of £15 each. This class includes assistant postmasters at the four principal offices, assistant inspector of post jffices, and Controller of Stores, Wellington. Third Class. —From £315 to £355, by two innual increments of £15 each and one of £10. This class includes assistant officers in jharge of telegraph offices, accountants at the four principal Post Offices, second clerk Gr.P.Oi, and first' clerk Accountant's Branch G.P.O. ■ ' ' • Fourth Class. —-From £260 to £300, by two imlual increments of £15 each and oiie of £10.: This class includes officers' in''charge 3f the telegraph offices Wanganui and Wakapuaka, chief mail clerks, senior check clcrks, md. assistant electricians. , Fifth Class, First Grade. —From' £235--to £250, by one annual increment of £15. This class includos senior clerks and telegraphists at .chief post offices, chicf clerks at post offices such as New Plymouth.' Napier, Wanganui, etc., senior counter clerks telegraph offices at four principal offices, check clerks telegraph 'offices, etc. •Fifth : Class, Second Grade —From £190 to £220, by three annual-increments of £10 each. This class includes senior despatch clerks,' heads of mail staff, 'senior parcels clerks, accountants' at such offices as New Plymouth, Invercargill, • and Nelson, etc., senior clerks at sub-post offices such as Hawcra, Ashburton, Palmerston North, etc., relieving postmasters and counter clerks at the principal offices'.' " ' ...Sixth Class.—From £110 to £200, by two annual increments of £10 each, then two of £15.each, then three of £10 each, then two of £5 each. Officers in this class who have served more than seventeen years to hare two additional increments of £10 each without being transferred from the class. In this | class there are 928 officers, including telegraphists, mail clerks, money-order and savings-bank clerks, clerks head office, newspaper sorters, letter-carriers, sorters, despatch clerks, counter clerks, foremen linemen', telephone exchange clerks, •assistant letters-carriers' sorters, mechanics; and inspector of telegraph messengers/ Cadets.—From £40 to £100, by one annual increment' of £10, one of £15, one of £20, and ono of £15, with lodging allowance of £26 a year for first two years and £13 for the third, when cadets stationed from home. In this'class there.are 300 Telegraph and Postal cadets. If they were to tako up'a trade,'they would not start at £40 a year, yet a cadet as soon as ho entors the service commences to qualify for tho highest, positions in the service. , Chief- Postmasters, First Grade. —From £445 to £500, by two annual increments of £20 each and one of £15. This class comprises the Chief Postmasters at Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland, Dunedin, and Wanganui. They are vested with a good deal of responsibility, yet are not what one could say inadequately paid. Chief Postmasters, Second Grade.—From £370 to £425, by'three annual increments of £15 each and one of £10. This class comprises tlio Chief Postmasters at Oaiharu, Nelson, N Napier, Timaru, ' Gveyiuouth, Now Plymouth, and Invercargill. Chief Postmasters, Third Grade. —From £310 to £350, by two annual increments of £15 each and one of £10. 1 This class comprises the Chief Postmasters at Blenheim, \Vestport, Hokitika, Gisborne, and Thainet. Postmasters, First Grade.—From £260 to £300, by two annual increments of ; £ls. cach and one of £10. This class comprises postmastors at such places as Palmerston North, Hamilton, Feilding, Daunovirke, and Masterton, etc. Postmasters, Second Grade.—From £220 to £250,: by three annual increments of £10 each. -This class comprises postmasters at such places as • Akaroa, Picton, Carterton, Paei'oa, Cambridge, Port Chalmers, Wellington South, and Te Aro, etc. Postmasters, Third Grade.—From £185 to £210, by one annual increment of £10 and one of £15. This class comprises postmasters at such places as Opunake, Bulls, Collingwood, Motueka, and Winton, etc. Postmasters, Fourth .Grade.—From £140 to £180, by two annual increments of £10 each, one; of £15, and one of £s.—This class comprises postmasters at such places as Rawono, Maugaweka, Clydo, and Hanmer Springs, etc. NON-CLERICAL DIVISION. ' Cadettos.—From £40 to £120, by threo annual increments of £10 ciich, one of £15, and seven of £5 each; with lodging allowance of £26 for the first year, £20 tho second, £15 the third, and £10 tho fourth • year, when' cadette stationed from home. • This class includos female' employees; whose,' principal duties are the sorting of telegrams, etc., in the clearing room branch of the General Post Oiiicc, female' 1 supervisors at telephone exchanges and typistts. Nit bad 'salaries'; I venture to think, foi girls, and there. is a whisper, that an improvement may be effected in this in the proposed Amending Bill, that is to be brought down this session. Cadettes, Telephone Exchanges.—From £40 to £SO, by four annual increments of £10, with lodging- allowance of £20 for tho Lrsi year, £lU the sccond, and £5 the third year, when cadette stationed from. home. Officers ivho have'served more than ten yoars to have four additional annual increments of £5 each. The 262 officers in this class aro female telephone cxchahgo attendants. Linemen," First Grade.—From £135 to £160,- by-five annual increments of £5 each. \Vhore quarters aro provided for an officer in this grado a l'ental of £10 a year is to be paid. The principal duties of linemen are ;o remove line faults, attend to batteries, ind otherwise assist with outside work, connected with telephone exchange wires and ielbgraph wires. Linemen, Second Grade.—From £110 to El 25, by, three annual increments of £5 ?acli. The duties of linemen in this grade urc practically the same as above. Post Office Sorters. —From £90 to £170, by six annual increments of £10 each, then

four of £5 each. This class comprises officers who assist with the sorting of mails at tha four principal Chief Post Offices, and from this class graduate to the' sixth class. Simple work' in which expedition comes into practice. Letter-carriers, First Grade.—From £135 to £1(30, by livo annual increments of £5 each. The duties of letter-carriers are to sort their correspondence in the order of delivery and deliver- same. Letter-carriers, Second Grade. —From £60 to £100, by three annual increments of £10 each, and two at £5 each. Same as above. Letter-carriers, Third Grade. —From £60 to £100, by threo annual increments of £10 each, and two of £5 each. Same as above. Post Office Messengers, - First Graded — From £105 to £160, by two annual increments of £10 each, and seven of £5 each. Where quarters are provided for ail officer in this grade a rental of £10 a year is to be paid. The principal duties of Post Office messengers is to handle mails between the Post Office, wharves, and railway stations, etc., assisting generally with heavy work, and tidying the mail room. Keally work for strong youths. Post Office Messengers, Second Grade.—> From £60 to £95,' by three annual increments of £10 each, and one of £5. Same as above. Counter Clerks (Telegraph).—From £50 to £150, by annual increments of £10 each. The duty of officers in this class is to receive telegrams from the public, count the number of words, and charge according to scale. Assistant Counter Clerks (Telegraph). From £50 to £150,' by annual 'increment*! ot £10 each. Same as counter clerks. Assistant Exchange Clerks.—From £50 ttf £150, by. annual increments of £10 each. Th« duty of officers in this class; is to attend to faults, in the telephone exchange, and to assist generally during the day. ' Junior Exchange Clerks. —From £50 ta £150, by annual increments of £10 each. The majority of these clerks perform continuous night duty attending'to subscribers* calls. For this duty they receive a special allowance of 10s per week. This work if purely mechanical —a matter of plugging. Assistant Despatch Clerks. —From £50 to £150, by annual increments of £10 each. The duty of officers in this class, is to address telegrams and despatch telegraph message boys wit!), same. Distributors.—From £50 to £150, by an< nual increments of £10 each. The duty of distributors is to carry telegrams from one instrument to another, and place them in order of time o fpresentation for transmission by the. operator. . ; Post Office Boy Messengers—From £26 tc £36, by one annual increment of £5, one of £3, and one of £2. The duty of Post Office boy messengers is to deliver messages as required, tidying office, etc. i Telegraph Message Boys.—Supernumerary class, from £41 to £56, by annual increments of £5 each. Message boys in this class assist in the telegraph despatch room by folding received telegrams and placing them in envelopes already addressed by the despatch clerk. , Telegraph Message Boys.—From £26 to £36, bv one annual increment of £5, one at£3, and one of £2. Not deeme dto bo officers of the Department. ' (Vide section 6 of "The Post , and Telegraph Classification and Regulation Act-, 1880. Tha duty of a tele' graph message boy is to deliver telegrams. AMENDING BILL. With regard to the foregoing, I havu noticed that the Postmaster-General has mads an announcement that ho intends to bring down an Amending Bill this session. Thera have been injustices in the past, but they are not the fault of the present Administration, which has done those things that were due to bo dono a long time ago, and is, I really believe,'urging betterment schemes at the present time.