P. & T. OFFICERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3179, 1 September 1917, Page 8

P. & T. OFFICERS

THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE. Tho annual conference of the Post and Telegraph Officers' Association passed the following resolutions yesterday.— •'lt is the opinion of this conference that tho classification scales affecting Public Servants under the Commissioner's control aro in urgent need of radical alteration, because they do not allow of any person receiving the recognised living wage until years after such a wage would lie paid in other walla of life. As practically all Post and Telegraph employees serve approximately two years as telegraph messengers they should, on promotion to higher duties, be placed in a position to bo ablo to pay for their food aud clothing and thereafter make such progress as will keep their earnings in lino with workers in outside occupations requiring .special skill and knowledge." j "This conference is of tho opinion that the time lias arrived when tho remuneration of Public Servants and other wage and salary workers should be arranged so as to automatically synchronise with the spending power of the sovereign based on index numbers prepared quarterly by the Government Statistician." SMOKE CONCERT. Last, evening the Wellington branch of the- New Zealand Post and Telegraph Officers' Association tendered a, smoke concert to tho delegates to the Post ond Telegraph Conference. There were about 200 members of the service present. Mr. C. Collins presided. Sir Joseph Ward (Postmaster-General) and Mr. J. P. Luke (Mayor of Wellington) were amongst tho guests. . Tho toast, of "The Post and Telegraph Officers' Association" was proposed by Mr. .1. A. Young. Ho said the nsiociatioA was a bulwark to safeguard tho interests of a great body of public scivants. The Department should not bo allowed lo interoforo with the activities of the men outside of their official duties.

The toast was responded to l>y Mr. B. ,1. AVhiting (president of the conference) and Mr. H. E. Combs (general secretary of the at-cciation). Mr. V.'Liting said that tbs association's watch word wan one of friendly criticism. Destructive criticism was not aimed (it, but the intention was to help the Minister and tho Department. The association coiisjrlorcd that, as the representative of the Commissioner on the Appeal Beard was a qualified barrister and solicitor, and as in.most cases tho appellants had lay advice only, tho scales were weighted against (ho appellant. The appellants should have tho right; to. secure legal aid if they desired to. The chairman of tho Appeal Board should -be a Magistrate. This year tho association had reaffirmed its attitude to the social rights of officers' caso. The. attitude was that after working hours an officer should do as ho liked with his time. Mr. Combs advocated examinations pertaining strictly 'to post and telegraph matters, and said there was no reason why the Department should not have, a training college for its cadets. The toast of "The Public Service Commissioners" was proposed by Mr. F. J. Chisholm, who said that if demands were moderate they would receive good consideration from the Commissioners. Tho Commissioner (Mr. D. Robertson) said that in the last five years the service bad expanded considerably and conditions had altered much, and men could not be expected to be satisfied with, tho classification of five years ago. Already improvements had been made. ' Sir Joseph Ward, who was received with loud applause and cheering, replied to tho toast of "Parliament." He said that ho believed tho time would como in tbis country when the public servants would have the opportunity of placing their views before the responsible function—the Government. (Applause.) lie hoped tho gatherings of the association would be conducive to the good of the service as a whole. When making requests or demands, the association should see that moderation was observed. Other toasts were honoured, and a good entertainment programme was provided.