POSTAL DEVELOPMENT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1926, 8 December 1913, Page 7

POSTAL DEVELOPMENT.

CONCESSIONS TO OFFICERS, A PROGRESSIVE DEPARTMENT. Sonio interesting details of Post Office work were given by Mr. W. K. Morris (Secretary to the Department) at Saturday evening's dinner of tho Wellington letter-carriers. Replying to tho toast of "Tho Post and Telegraph Department," proposed by Sir Joseph Ward, Mr. Morris said:— "Tho tradition of tho Department has over been to maintain a high standard of efficiency; and I feel keenly the responsibility which devolves upon mo to use my utmost endeavour to worthily maintain such a standard. I hope that when tho time comes to hand over my trust I may be ablo to do so without any sense of failure. Tho rapid march of progress is still being maintained, in fact some branches, notably tho telephono. oxchiingo, may bo said to bo progressing by leaps and bounds. As an illustration of this rapid expansion, tho now- connections for tho year ended March 31, 1912, numbered 4955, whilst for seven months of the current year they liavo already amounted to no fewer than 5197. If this state of' progress is maintained, and there is no reason for supposing that it will not, wo will in the near future bo faced with the, necessity for largely extending tho buildings occupied by tho exchanges throughout tho country, but tho increase is not confincd to telephono exchanges. Wellington Chief Post omco. "During the past financial year, the permanent staff of the Post and Telegraph Department increased from 4917 to 5362 officers. Such a large increase will give some idea of the rapid expansion of the. Department's business. Tho rank and file of tho permanent staff attached to tho Chief Post Office, AVellington, is as follows Clerics, 89; cadets, 42; sorters, 16; letter-carriers, | 75;. messengers, 27; drivers. 6; mechanician, 1; caretaker, etc., 3. "Tho following .figures are of interest as indicating the rapidity of growth, not only of postal business but of tho City of Wellington itself during tho last 35 year 3. In 1874, the delivery of correspondence was performed by a start of two letter-carriers. Twenty years later, it occupied the service of twelvo letter-carriers. In the short period of five years succeeding,, tho staff had in 1900' increased to 23, under the supervision of a clcrk-in-chargo and threo letter-carriers' sorters. As already indicated, the volume has become so great as to necessitate the employment of 7.1 carriers, with a clerk-in-chargo and sovon letter-carriers'- sorters. Tho carriers on their daily, rounds coyer a distance of nearly six hundred miles. "To meet the. increased business at Wellington during tho past twelvo months, 20 officers have been added to the staff; two letter-carriers have been promoted to tho Clerical Division, wliilo one has been promoted to tho position of letter-carriers' sorter. As almost all the vacancies in the Clerical Division are filled from the ranks of tho Genera! Division, it is in tho interests of tho officers of tho latter division to qualify for promotion as soon as tliev can by passing one of the postal efficiency examination or by learning telegraphy. In common with tho several branches of tho Department, the letter-carriers are provided with greatly improved accommodation in tho now General Post Office building. It is with diep/satisfaction I am able to . say that the conduct and loyalty of tho whole staff amidst a lifo of strenuous endeavour have continued to be excellent.

Postal Correspondenco. "The number of articles posted in tho Dominion during tho last twclvo. months is estimated at 16U millions. Of these nearly 22 millions were sent from the Wellington. Chief Post Office. Of the 20i millions of articles received at that office for delivery, nearly 9-J millions were dealt with by tho lettor-car-riers, the balance being disposed of through tho medium of the private boxes, tho delivery-counter, and in other ways. Dspartmental staff. "I have not attempted to refer to tho expansion of business in the moneyorder, savings bank, or tho numerous other branches of tho Department's activities, but I will briefly refer to a few of tho many changes which have taken place within the current year in tho conditions governing tho employment of officers in tho Department. Some time ago the sorting test for postal officers was amended in tho direction of making it of a moro practical naturo. The examination required to bo passed by a letter-carricr before ho could be promoted i'roni one grado to another has been abolished. Tho rogulation which provided that an officer must pass examinations within a certain timo has also been revoked; and the examination on the provisions of tho Post and Telegraph Act is not now required. Until recently, all officers with less than one year's service, or whoso salary was less than £100 per annum wcro called upon to provido fidelity guarantees. This requirement has been removed, and tho Department now undertakes tho risk. Special payment is now made to an officer who, under authority, acts in n higher position; and also to an officer of tho Seventh Class .who has passed certain examinations, but for whom a vacancy in tho Sixth Class does not at tho timo exist. Tho classification system presented some lack of uniformity l in what was known by officers as tho 'cadet's anomaly.' lam pleased, to saythat the contentious question lias been satisfactorily settled. Officers tvero relieved some little time ago of tho necessity for passing tho second examinations for telegraph mid for postal officers. Officers of tho Sixth Class, who had not passed tho senior examination, but whoso salary oxcecdcd £200 a year on March 31 last,: wero also, no doubt, much relieved by tho removal in their case of tho barrier at tho maximum of tho class.

"As a rosnlfc of the coming into operation of tho Public Servico Art, the maximum salary of the General Division lias been increased from £200 to £220 nor annum. An improvement has also boon made in tho period of annual leavo of absence granted to officers. Those officers who have at least ten years' sorvie.o aro now entitled to three weeks' leave, instead of fourteen days, as formerly. At chief telegraph offices, telegraphists performing clutv without a meal interval aro now allowed a twentv minutes' refreshment spell. "Hitliorto only those officers who retired from the service on superannuation wore entitled to leave of absence on retirement. This ris?ht has, however, now been given to all officers with over live years' service. Tho regulation which provided that, no person should be paid more' than 10s. for duty in tho Tclonlioi'.o Exchange on a Sunday or lioliday w»s_ revoked on September 30 last. Realising that, it is desirable to encourage an officer to havo his house connected with the telephone exchange, the Department now allows tho private connections of officers to bo made at half the usual rates, witli n, minimum charge of £4 per annum. A reduction under the party wire system is also provided. ■ "It will. I think, be admitted," said Mr. Morris, in conclusion. "that the Department is mindful of the interests of its oliirors. from whom in return is papnrti'd a willing and zealous effort to maintain a high standard of efficiency. In all matters affecting I,he welfare of tho staff our worthy chief, the lion. Mr.

Rhodes, is keenly interested, and is always anxious by every means in Ilia [lower to improve tin* conditions under which our great service in conducted." (Applause.) Increase of Business. Proposing the toast of "Tho Chief Post Office," Mr. 11. Atmore, M.P., road a list of figures, showing tho increase of the business of tho Post Oflico during tho last two decades, as follows:— Wellington City. 1892. 1902. 1912. Letters and

postcards— Posted .... 2,071,303 C,275,510 12,335,513 Delivered 2,086,2S0 5,478,S00 12,110,502 Other articlesPosted .... 1,522,"SO 3,551,580 5,299,120 Delivered 1,212,200 2,779,370 0,292,180 Telegrams of nil codes " 93,211 801,006 Money ordersIssued .... ,£52,075 £93,030 .0209, GS8 Paid ,£90,000 £105,560 £425,810 Commission JE810 £l,85ti £1,079 Savings Bank— Deposits... £257,397 £677,588 £1,123,421 "Withdrawals... £274,092 £713,010 .£1,433,212 Telephone Exchange connections..! 7G8 1,902 5,398 "Wellington District. Letters and postcards— Posted .... 4,747,800 10,243,010 24,837,200 Delivered 4,742,250 9,800,930 23,702,520 Other articlesPosted .... 2,440,450 5,157,070 14,410,700 Delivered 2,324,5S0 5,039,730 12,243,290 Telegrams of all codes 441,564 959,408 1,995,064 Money orders— •. Issued ... .£123,873 £221,410 £515,432 Paid £122,912 £231,473 £008,018 Commission £1,624 £3,253 £3,329 Snrings BankDeposits... £379,445 £1,025,3SG £2,159,581 "Withdrawals £360,503 £944,G39 £2,099,761 Telephone Exchange connections... 842 2,523 8,890 "Figures not available nt present.