The Hokitika Guardian MONDAY, APRIL 10th, 1922. AN ULTIMATUM.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 April 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian MONDAY, APRIL 10th, 1922. AN ULTIMATUM.

It is very gratifying to note that the Postmaster-General— the much esteem ed Mr Coates—lost no time in delivering what is practically an ultimatum to the Post and Telegraph Officials’ Association on the proposal to affiliate with the Alliance of Labour. And it is interesting to note that Mr Coates in his lejtter took up the-stand and uses almost the identical phrasing of the Westland Chamber of Commerce in giving his reasons for prohibiting the affiliation. The Postmaster-Gene-

ral pointed out that the Postal Service is “to serv e the whole public” and

the Association ‘‘cannot he allowed to jje allied with an outside organisation.” Mr Coates clinches his statement by the declaration that “the Government views such a step with serious disfavor, and as olio which it is not prepared to countenance under any consideration.” This is pleasingly definite and the only regret is that the Government was not equally outspoken at the very outset, and made it perfectly plain to the Public Service us a whole—not alone one branch—that this coquetting with extremists ih the endeavour to impose something on the people which the Government (responsible to the people) is not in a position to concede, will not be tolerated. In other words the Government for the time being must rule its public service, and in that way maintain proper authority with the administration carried on under effective discipline. There is no question that the Postn 1 Association is taking a false step. This is the considered judgment of responsible opinion on all sides. The postal service is n branch of particular trust and there are so many ways in which the confidence reposed in the service could be abused under stressful circumstances. The work of the officers is largely of a confidential nature, and it would be disastrous if the public were to lose its faith in so important a. branch of the public service. And they ultimately would. The desire for affiliation can be only with the object of seeking to impose something on the Government which the Association officials do not feel strong enough to secure on reasonable grounds, The powerful help from a general alliance of labor, would give them strength they are foolish enough to believe to secure their demands by direct action. In other words they would take up a stand and deliver attitude and make a demand for concessiohs at the risk of upsetting one of the chief public utilities' of the business and commercial life of the comm unity. If the people are self-respecting and believe in managing their affairs along sane lines, they would itot tolerate any such tactics at all. It is surprising that an intelligent body of men such as the officials of the Association should be by education and training, do not at the very outset see the error of their ways. What is the experience all round the Empire of these spasmodic efforts to seize the powers of government by labor factions. On all sides at the slightest sign of such open rebellion—for such it is—the public has backed the Government up always; and the strikers have met with ignominoiis defeat. It would he inevitable in New Zealand were the Postal Association to attempt to go to such lengths to secure something which the Government may not give, So there is special wisdom in Mr Coates nipping in the bud any attempt at such an unholy alliance as has been proposed, and the individual members of the Association will be wise in making the best retreat they can from the untenable position Itheir vote has placed them in.