WOMEN AS LETTER CARRIERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 230, 17 June 1918, Page 2

WOMEN AS LETTER CARRIERS

POSTAL DEPARTMENT'S ATTITUDE. Following upon the Postal Department's recent announcement that it would shortly he necessary to curtail Ihe daily number of letter deliveries in Wellington, many inquiries have been made at tho office of the Women's Na- , lionnl Reserve in respect to Ihe prospect I of the employment of women in place of letter-carriers culled up,for military service. Tho fact: was pointed out that in utilising the services of women the inconvenience to the public would be considerably minimised. Since its inception in 1915 the W.N.R, lias received many applications from women willing to become letter-carriers. Up to the present, however, the Postal Department lias riot required the services of women in this capacity. In order to (jet direct information in the matter two officials of the W.N.R. recently waited'upon llr. W. R. Morris, Secretary, Postal Department, and were most courteously received. While admitting that his Department had in contemplation the employment, later on, of women as letter-carriers, Mr. Morris pointed out very clearly the difficulties at present in the way of increasing the already large number of women in tho service of tho Postal Department. For tho reserve's reference Mr. Morris sent to the hou. secretary of the W.N.R. the following letter dealing with the question:— "In reference to the representations made this morning by yourself and Mrs. Porter on behalf of the Women's National Reserve, relating to tho employment of women us letter-carriers, I 'beg lo inform you that the Deportment has in contemplation the question of utilising tile services of women in this capacity. Up to the present, however, it lias been able to moot (he pressure tlirough the employment of returned soldiers, whose claims are naturally entitled to priorily. No doubt, with tho serious inroads made by the ealling-up of the men of the Second Division, the employment of women as loller-carriers may be looked for in the near future. 0110 of theso difficulties in connection with tho employment of womeii in these positions is the necessity for providing separate accommodation for them. This involves very considerable, cxpensa, and as the. Department is very hardly pressed for room, it lias not. up io the present, been possible to provide the accommodation.

. "As you will understand from what I said, women are employed in nearly every branch of the Postal Service, anil girls as telegraph messengers. Speaking generally, their employment lias resulted very, satisfactorily."