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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5791, 21 October 1879, Page 2

We have been informed that there is no truth in the statement that there was a threatened strike of the telegraph operators in Auckland, and that the paragraph which we lately reprinted from the Auckland “Herald” was officially contradicted in a subsequent issue. It is also asserted that there never was the least likelihood of a strike, and that if one were attempted it would be easy for the department to replace the malcontents by fresh importations of skilled operators from England or Australia, who have been in receipt of far low'er wages there. Nevertheless, it is well known that the abolition of overtime has caused much dissatisfaction in the service ; smart operators were able to earn from £4O to £6O extra money a year by working long hours of overtime ; they know perfectly well that even though it is intended to supplement the staff so that the average number of working hours shall be very much lessened, yet the chances are that the

promised increase of salary will fall far short of the amount which they were able to earn by long hours of overtime. A first-class operator at present earns about £l5O a year ; his salary, so long as he is retained at one of ihe head offices, seldom or never rises above that figure. The better he is, the less chance he has of being placed in charge or a country station. Overtime gave town operators an opportunity of “squaring” the account/by making up for extras allowed to officers in charge of a station, by extra pay earned after hours. The abolition of t.ie overtime system, unless accompanied by a considerable increase of salary, is bound to add to the discontent which is well known to prevail among the employees. We understand that tho average salary of a telegraphist may he set down at £l3O per annum, and it is contended that this is a liberal scale of pay. _>ve have pointed out that a first-class operator need not hope for more than £l5O a year. Wo offer the following comparison ; —An average compositor iiTa printing office will learn his trade in from three to live years ; his work is to a ,rrert extent identical with that or a telegraphist—in that both have to transmit 'words, letter by letter, through an independent medium. Both classes are called upon to keep late hours for presswork, and we venture say that the strain upon a telegraphist a a‘ - 10,1 13 very much greater than upon a compositor’s. Although telegraphic work entails a greater amount of responsibility upon, and of trust in the good faith of the operators than in the case of tho compositors, inasmuchas a constant stream of confidential messages are passed through their hands, yet the rate of pay for the former is considerably less. It is true that a compositor’s life is even more unhealthy than a telegraphist s, but it is undeniable that the average amount ot sickness among the latter is very great. In fact, the chief gain which may be confidently looked forward to in connection with the abolition of overtime is the reduction of the injurious strain upon the health of the operators. It may be urged that a telegraphist occupies a better social position than a printer ; but the latter can, if he chooses, save twice as much out of his earnings as the former. If his prospect of a competency at middle age is equal or superior to that ot the telegraphist, then the advantages offered by the Government are imaginary rather than real. We do not know what the exact cause of tho existing dissatisfaction may be, but it is undeniable that it exists. Many of the best and steadiest operators throughout the country are indifferent about remaining in, ir not positively anxious to quit the service. This is not as it should be, and wo are of opinion that an inquiry into the general working of tho department, and an invitation to the employees to air their grievances jointly and openly, would have an excellent effect upon the tone of the service, as well as upon the tone of the Press, whoso friendly criticisms have been somewhat severely commented upon. There may havo beon no strike threatened, in Auckland, but we have reason to believe that there was an active spirit of discontent throughout the service m New Zealand a few weeks ago, which might at any moment have broken out into open rebellion. An enquiry would therefore show whether the disaffection was founded upon reasonable grounds or not.