POSTAL SERVICE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 449, 6 March 1909, Page 6

POSTAL SERVICE.

CLASSES FORMED FOR JUNIORS. EXAMINATIONS NO MORE A BUGBEAR. As every private in Napoleon's army was said to havo a (iekl-marshall's baton in his knapsack, tho Sir Joseph Ward, is apparently desirous that every messenger in tho postal service shall havo a postmastor-goneral's warrant in his lotter hag. Tho Post and Telegraph Department has 2J times the stalf of any other Department in tho Public Service, except that of railways, and an unusually largo proportion of this army consists of young recruits, messengers, and other members of the non-clerical division, who can never bo postmasters-general unless thoir education is completed. To carry telegrams for the Post and Telegraph Department it is not necessary to have had even a sixth standard education; a boy may bo admitted to tho non-cloricnl division who has passed only the fourth standard. In practico not very many lads aro accepted nowadays who lack tho major qualification, for so many boys are anxious to join tho ranks of the Postal Department, that the authorities can afford to bo exacting. Thcro is, however, a proportion of fourth-standard youths, and even those who hold sixth standard certificates, who have a long courso to travel before they can be postmasters-general. In. order to pass quito early barriers in the classification schemo, certain tests must be gone through, and Sir Joseph Ward has devised a means to assist aspiring youthful members of tho Department to overcome these tests. Classes are being organised _in connection with the Department, in which courses of study will be given to prepare messengers and other non-clerical employees for the sixth standard and Civil Service junior examinations, and to prepare cadets and others for the Civil Service senior examination. These classes are being established, for a beginning, in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, and Duncdin. The need is not so great in the smaller centres. The "vJeTrmgW T&assss., Tsb.uk commenced on Wednesday last, are under the direction of Mr. R. Darroch. Tho members of tho service whom it is intended to benefit are showing their appreciation of the system by flocking eagerly to tho classes. Already nearly 70 pupils have nominated themselves for tho Civil Servico senior class, about 50 for tho Civil Servico junior, and 6omo 20 for the sixth standard class.

The object of the Postmaster-General in making this innovation is said to be to show that tlio Department is not only anxious about Retting tho maximum of effort from its staff, but is desirous of protecting their interests, and assisting capable employees to qualify themselves for tho best positions. Incidentally tho Department .will benefit, because it will be a great advantage to have intelligent and educated employees. The Departmental classes will enablo lads in the non-clerical division to qualify for positions on the clerical staff, and clerical members to improve themselves and fit themselves for promotion, with the least possible cost to their pockets. A small charge is being made for the instruction, and it is expected that the classes will be almost, if not quite, selfsupporting.