P. AND T. DEPARTMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 35, 10 August 1936, Page 6

P. AND T. DEPARTMENT

EFFICIENT SERVICE

ACTIVITIES REVIEWED

Some interesting aspects of the work of the Post and Telegraph Department were touched upon by the DirectorGeneral (Mr. G. McNamara) at the annual reunion of the Hutt Valley Sub-section of the Post and Telegraph Employees' Association on Saturday evening.

Mr. McNamara said that the Department had been through a particularly difficult time, "but we are through it; right through it; and have been through it for nearly a year/ he said. The Department had been making money for the Government, doing its job, and not making too many mistakes as far as the public knew. During the whole of the depression the men had worked particularly well. Despite the difficult times, the Department had not had to put off a single man. The Post and Telegraph Department today had the reputation of being equal to any other. Department of State. It was raisin a Department employing thousands of men to find the .loyalty that had existed in the Post and Telegraph Department during the slump.

The.methods in the Department today were different from what they were when he joined the head office twenty-eight years ago, said Mr. McNatnara. The Department was an excellent one then, but today it was more scientific. When a change was) made in a system it was preceded by the closest investigation. The timing of toll calls was at present being investigated. A cable that was to be put across the Strait cost £40,000, without the cost of bringing it here and laying it. A big portion of the' time with a toll call was spent in preparation; it was hoped to increase the time of the effective use of the line. There were about 100 ledger offices throughout the country and now Petone and Lower Hutt had facilities at their post offices whereby people could draw out money without having' to send to Wellington. It was hoped "to increase the number of these offices. "TELEGRAMS TOO CHEAP.' "We would be pleased if you did not send telegrams; they are too cheap, said Mr. McNamara. "It would please us better if we gave you 3d and told you to go away." Every 'year the Department had managed to produce a profit, even during the depression years. Few businesses could equal that record. ' Mr. McNamara said he did not think that the men were highly paid, -but' added that security of position was I worth a certain amount in addition. It was of great value from the point of view of peace of mind. The public generally had not the faintest idea of the work of the Department, which behind the scenes was a highly technical organisation, full of difficulties, and problems. The Department handled over, £200,000,000 a year. The staff had to have a knowledge of electricity when it came to dealing with power boards. Expressing pleasure at the restoration of the cuts, Mr. McNamara said that during the depression the men in the lowest ranks had had a very thin time. The staffing work was at a very interesting stage at present. The Promotion Board was.now at-work and since December there had been 676 promotions. The Department would be promoting 60 linesmen from the rank and file to the position of senior linesmen, and later they would become line foremen. The permanent staff of the Department now totalled 9636 and temporary employees brought the number of employees up to 11,742. Owing to the manner in which the work was increasing, there had been an increase of 1125 in the staff in the last twelve months. Mr. McNamara expressed pleasure at the results of the sick benefit fund. This, he thought, was the germ of the idea of the new invalid pensions. The Department had men who could not work and were not eligible for a pension. Since December 55 people had benefited from the fund, which was in a good position, and soon, it was hoped, they would be able to recommend payment of salaries not at half-rates, but at a higher rate. HON. W. NASH'S REMARKS. :'The Minister of Finance (the Hon. W. Nash)'said his voice was still "rough" after the Budget speech, but "if you believe the cartoon in last evening's *Post. it is, rougher still on the people." (Laughter.) Mr. Nash said' that Mr.. McNamara was one of the most competent men in the Government service. He did not know of an' : officer in, charge of a Department.who ran it in a better or more Efficient way than Mr. McNamara. Mr. Nash said he personally hoped he would never shirk his responsibilities arid hoped the Government would hot rest until all who worked obtained their share of the good things in life. Those who could not work and wanted to should obtain their share even be-, fore the others. He would have lilted to restore the cuts in wages much earlier even than April 1, but the Government had had to look to the goods and services behind the money system and balance the accounts. He took the view that help should be given in the following order:—(l) Unemployed; (2) the old people; (3) those who were not getting as much as they should. He would not ask for anything that he would not fight for for someone else. He would do his best to extend the national income to the maximum, and then see it distributed in the best manner possible to those who wanted to work and could not, and those who did work. Those who could work and would not deserved nothing. He was certain that the civil servants had not minded waiting for their restoration of cuts so that the pensioners could receive help.