POST OFFICE BONUS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 18, 16 October 1919, Page 6

POST OFFICE BONUS

ABOUT A MINISTER'S

PROMISE

DIFFERENCES OF INTERPRETATION

The question whether or not tho Post Oice staff ought to receive tho war bonus until October next was raised again in tho House o£ Representatives yesterday. Sir Joseph Ward, tho lato Postmaster-General, taid he had understood dehnitely that the bonus was to bo continued for a further period of six montiis after the cloio of the last financial year; and he had conveyed an intimation to tliat oii'eet to the staff. .Thb bonud hud not been continued. It had been stopped from the date of tho reclassification as far as its general payment was concerned, but it was being paid to men who had not been granted increases. 'Ilh-is arrangement meant simply tliat the man who, on account of inefficiency, had been denied an increase, got a bonus, while the efficient man got no bonus. He felt that he was being placed in tho position of having his Ministerial promise set aside. Sir James Allen said tho effect of the Cabinet minute had been that tho payment of the bonus would be contingent on the delay of the reclnssification. Sir Joiepn Ward: 1 don't know about tho Cabinet minute. I feel sure that Cabinet does not want to place tho worn of ii Minister at stake. The Prime Minister said there seemed to bo a difference of opinion regarding interpretation, he wiKMted taking tito opinion of tho Public Service Commissioner. ' hir Joeeph Ward said ho had no objection to that. Ho had carried out, as Pnstinaster-Geiierai, what he believed to be Uβ (lecis.on oi • Cabinet. A memorandum sent by too Treasury to the Secretary of the Post Office had confirmed his view regarding the bonus. Ho himself had made his statement about the bonus officially. There was no doubt that the promise he had mado on behalf of the Government, after representatives of the Postal officers interviewed the Prime Minister and himself had been tent on to the staff.

Mr. , W". A. Veiteh (Wanganui) said the promise had been made. Till© Government had not done tho generous thing,, and the Postmaster-General was now ofiering something in thlj nature of a compromise.

Mr. Massey: There will be no compromise. Whatever promise was mads wiil be kept. o'he Hon. W. H. Herries said his recollection was tihat Cabinet liad intended the increase of wages to take tho place of the bonus, which was to ceaso nt the closo of the war. If tho bonus was to be continued in tho Post Office, in addition to tho increased salaries, then it should also bo continued in all other Departments. The Post Office should not be placed in a special position. Several members, in the, course of the debate, urged the Government to honour tho promise which had been made! by Sir Joseph Ward ns Postmaster-General. The Post and Telegraph officers had accepted this promise at its face value, and would be keenly disappointed if it was not redeemed

The Cabinet Minute. The Postmaster-General, in reply, said that ho had been met with a request to carry out his predecessor's promise Tβgarding the war bonus directly he took office. He replied that he .would redeem the promise if he was able to do so. He had looked up the records, and had found a Cabinet minute providing that the bonus should be continued until October, 1919, "except in case.! where rcgrading takes place, or where there have been increases of salary." Mr. Coates read the following extract from the Cabinet instruction to tho Secretary of the Treasury: "I have to advise you that Cabinet has decided to double the war bonus for the year commencing October 1, .1918. Conditions' will, however, be eomewhat different from those applying In the past. In cases whore thero have been increases of salary granted for any portion of tho period, the increased bonus''will: not be paid for that portion of the year covered by increased pay." ' That wiw , signed by tlie secretary to Cabinet. This was dated December 11, 1918. and thin was the position when Sir Joseph Ward left tins country. It was the position t\x stated on the file, and it was on thrs that tho Government' had been working. Nothing would give him greater p/ensuro thnn to give the increased pay to the officers of his Department, but he was faced with the Cabinet decision h« had read, and ho regretted that the' Government could do no more.

Sir Joseph Ward Replies. Sir Joseph Ward said: I think it would be a fair thing that 1, having been Post-master-General and Minister of Finance a,t that timo, should have tho full flies placed at my disposal. Mr. Maseey: Wo offer no objection. Sir Joseph Ward: My recollection of thia matter is that a deputation waited upon the Prime Minister and myself from the Post and Telegraph employees just before we went to England. 1 know that at that interview we promised something. The Prime Minister will remember that that is so. Mr. Massey: That is 60. wo promised re-grading. Sir Joseph Ward Baid that the first Cabinet decision had been altered by extending it to make it cover the Public Service. ' Sir James Allen: No real alteration. Sir Joseph Ward: I am quite satisfied that there was alteration, and I want the papers. I want to 6eo ail about it. ... After I had left the National Cabinet something arose in connoction with this matter. I don't know what it was. I was applied to in connection with tho war bonus. I took tho opportunity of asking the PostmasterGeneral, and I understood him to bear out what I said. . _ >

Mr. Coates: That is eo. Sir Joseph.Ward said that he had not brushed his memory. Hut he would on no account go liehind the Cabinet minutes. . That ho had never'done in his association with Cabinets. ■ He admitted that there *as some force iD tho remarks or tho Minister of Hailways as to the wider application of the bonus payment to make it go to railway servants, but circumstances of all Departments wouid i'uvo to be considered in dealing with this matter. It had been stated that the Public Service Commissioner in re-grading 'he officers of the P. and T. Department 1-ad pot taken the war bonus into account. Mr. Massey: Does the Public Service Commissioner admit that? Sir Joseph Ward said that he was making his statement on authority of a communication from the secretary of the Post and Telegraph Officers' AssociaSi'r James Allen: That is no authority at all. Sir Joseph Ward 'said that ho would never lmvo made a promise unless he thought he had a right to make it. Sir James Allen: Is your promise on record anywhere? Sir Joseph Ward: I want to see tho papers. Sir James Allen: It is not on tho file. Sir Joseph Ward fiaid that it must bo on the file unless ho had made tho promiso verbally at tho interview of postal officers with Mr. Massey and himself. Mr. Massey: No; I think wo havo a record of that interview. Sir Joseph Ward (-aid he would like to question those who had interviewed them on that occasion. Ho still held that he had a recollection ef having made tho promise.