WAR ENLISTMENTS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 163, 10 June 1940, Page 10

WAR ENLISTMENTS.

POST OFFICE WORKERS. The contribution of the Post and Telegraph Department to enlistments for war service was referred to by the Divisional Director (Mr C. 0. Coad) in speaking ,at the Centennial dinner of the Manawatu section of the Post and Telegraph Employees’ Association and Officers Guild. In replying to the toast of the department, lie gave detailed figures of those who had enlisted, and . spoke of the measures being taken to fill the deficiency caused by tlieir departure. There ivere more than' 1-1,000 officers in the service to-day; said Mr Coad, and of these 1085 had enlisted. There had already gone overseas 332 men, and the remainder were in camp, while 231 were waiting to go into camp, lit addition, 136 had volunteered for the Air Force, 62' were serving in the Navy, and 54 on home defence. Tlie Territorial training scheme would n'ecessitate releasing about 400 Territorials from the department to go into camp. With these men going into the fighting services there was difficulty in the staffing of the department. To help to overcome this, 114 women had been taken into the service, and 24 were receiving tuition in the working of tlie. teleprinter machine. No fewer than 1000 boys were also practising telegraphy to-day; Tne speaker releired to methods of staff saving, by which the services of the staff might be utilised to the full.. There had been a magnificent response to the appeal for the. Post Office Patriotic Fund, lie said, and this would produce from £SOOO to £6OOO a year. One-third would be divided among . the 11 provincial patriotic funds, and two-thirds given to the national fund. A fortnight ago the Director-General (Mr J. G- Young) had a proud moment when he handed over to the secretary of the National Patriotic Fund a cheque for £4OO, representing the Post Office contribution for April and part of March. Whole staffs had written to the General Post Office expressing willingness- to. forgo their overtime payments for the duration of the war.

The Post Office contribution to tlie war was also reierred to by the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mancsford) in proposing the toast of the department. Mr Mansford'said that in the,i last war 2700 men went from the department and in the present war more than 1000 ‘had enlisted alteady. In the last war many , gained high honours, and one was awarded the Victoria Cross. The 6uprenie sacrifice was made bv 204 men. It was a terrible thing that we were again at war to-day, but lie was again confident that! we would win, and in the do so'the department was playing a magnificent part.