N.S.W. TELEGRAPHISTS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1638, 3 January 1913, Page 4

N.S.W. TELEGRAPHISTS.

IMPROVED CONDITIONS,

Tlis Hon. C. E. tfraMr, PostmastorGeneral of tho Commonwealth, is confl«ent that tho difficulty which arpso recently in Nctt South Wales regarding tho working.- horn's of telegraphists has- beoni satisfactorily Settled, ; The position in retard to tho telegraphists ovOt thirc," Mr. I'razer told a Dominion reporter yesterday, U that it has been found necessary to adopt a bow ,time-sheet, so Calculated that sufficient men Will bi availablo at various limes of tho day to copo with tho business, as experience has shown. that it generally arrives, and to avert tho necessity of having; a number of men walk* ing about at titties When thei'e it 110 business to be transacted. The now time* ehcot is the result of a caroful analysis of the business arriving at the Sydney. Ofllce, and I was informed by my deputy Jn Sydney just prior to leaving _ that, under tho exceptional stress ..of business in Sydney just before Christmas, tho new arrangement had worked much more satisfactorily than tho old Schodulo could liavo, been oxweted to do, and that it was anticipated that as soon as,the excess of messages had been dealt with, tho men would havo much inoro reasonable working liourii thail tlioy. had undor the old arrangement. The now arrangement of hours litis stood tho 6tross of a Very, consldcrablo itest on tho two days prior to Christmas,) as will bo. seen from; this, little return 'vhicli I happen to have Upon me, and which shows that on December 23 wo handled at Sjxl> ney 49,601 messages, and on tho following day 56,536 messages. Tho new shoot lias tha effcct of • allowing nn operator to liavo fully half an hour off for <v meal after three hours' worlf.. This uOoi a\vay with tho unsatisfactory arrangement under wliicli operators had to oAt while working at thoit Instruments. ■ It is anticipated that under the new.schedule telegraphists will not be Moulted to work longer on an avetfige than six hours and seven minutes per day." ■ ■■ ■