TELEGRAPH MEN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1662, 31 January 1913, Page 5

TELEGRAPH MEN.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND. '". TRAINiMSCHOOLS. THE DRIFT TO AUSTRALIA, i- .:, . .i;..■...TTT".;..*.,.'.{„ A paragraph printed in a. local papet yesterday slated. that, compelont\and,d- ' pcrienced,telegraph operators were scarce iu tho Wellington office at tho present time. Tho matter was mentioned yesterday "by a Dominion reporter, to,Mr.;W. It. Morris. Secretary to'the ■lW and Telegraph Department, who said that tho position in tho Wellington telegraph of- ' flee at tho present timo .was normal. • •■■ "'.

It was true, ho added, that thcro had' been a temporary shortage of officers at tho end of last year, duo to tho fact that an unusual number of men Verb away on sick leave and to other exceptional causes. It, had on this account been; found necessary to reinforce tho Wellington offico from other parts' of tho Do-' minion, but there, was no Jack pf operators 1 m. present, ' ', '"■■'•' .

In about a fortnight from tho present sS timo twenty boys, who have been under- i pwng instruction at a school in Oaniaru, ' will bo ready to.commence their career ' as telegraph operators, and another school '' .will probably bo started as soon' as iho '"■'■ ■pjesent ono disbands. For somo tinio past . these classes; of instruction have been '■'' conducted nt Oamaru because it is convcniently placed in. a healthy situation. ■ Is the immediate future classes of instructiou may.bo organised'in other dißtfacts whence cadets maybe most readily transferred to stations whero >opcratora , : are in demand. Generally 6peaking, Mr. ; Morris remarked, plenty of cadets came forvfard to take up the duties.of tele- v graph operators, and all the nieii required ■ «ould bo obtained. ■'.•"••',.'.''■.'.•' - ; ~.;..>'.

. lhere were, of course/ occasions WhcnV ' V special arrangements' had.to bemadc.V It would bo absurd to maintain a'staff in ; any'operating office big enough lb cops ;! - witha'voluino of Work ..that-had'to'bo - dealt with .only at infrequent intervals. Whilo it is readily recruited, the New -V Zealand telegraph operating staff is sub-' : . jectcd, from various \causes, to a'some- ', What severe drain. Some of the ambl- *"': tious younger men to ; become wireless operators, not so much'to V: bettor their positions ,probably;' as from■ '•';';> the desiro to go to eeavwhord-they, hope • to find life and work.more interesting;'■'■■ i' Another, factor which induces a good many ' ;Nqj(r Zealand*, telegraphists. to:lcpve . the , ; Service; is. tho keen demand for skilled operators which Mists in Australia. Pre- ' : suinably ..because New Zealand telcgra- vV: ' phistgaro better trained than those of ,' Australia inducements are held out which v'." : lead to many of them forsaking the Scr- ' vice; of this 'country 'for that of.' Austra- •' iia., This,state of affairs, Mr. Morris re- - marked,' might., bo.taken as a tribute to '■' the quality of tho New 1 Zealand training :' and fo tho, faoilltieV afforded tclegraphista ! in this country of picking"up Vknowlcdgo, of:' work; putsido,- the' ordinary routine of': : their daily dutioj. Possibly this' attraction'of' moh- frrfm New Zealahd to Aus. "'"■: --"■ trolia was a little overdone, but whom >

• men were ,offered ; an, opportunity of: bet tering their* positions the heads of th« local, woll take any'-: oxcepiho'ri or'Create'any obstacle. The '■'■': only thing to do was to meet/the drain i by training telegraphists to '/' meotiho demands for their services and ['■ .7 .this.iwas bcin? 4°W as, instanced in tho 'class'now .noaring 'the"end of its period of'instruction at Oamaru. ;