ANGRY DELEGATES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10615, 14 June 1920, Page 4

ANGRY DELEGATES

P. AND T. OFFICERS INDIGNATION EXPRESSED AT GOVERNMENT METHODS. Strong indignation was expressed by delegates to the Post and Telegraph _ conference on Saturday at certain information received from the Prime Minister in regard to the application of the results reached by the railway tribunals to members of the, P. and T. Service. LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER. On Thursday last the- conference secretary, -Mr H. E. Combs, sene the following letter to the Prime iMinistor: “f have to acKnowledge your letter ,of the Hh inst., and to say that the conference of tins association being now in session, • your letter was read, to tho do-egates assembled. I am sorry to advise you that your reply is not clearly understood, and Xam directed'to ask ir you intended the association, to conclude from your reply that the results reached by the railway tribunals are to be applied to, and become binding upon, members of the Post and Telegraph service. If so my delegates di•rcct me to enter the strongest possible objection to such a proposal. This service has had no opportunity of being heard by any of the railway tribunals, and its views and conditions are practically unknown to them. On the salary question. 1 am directed to point out that the issue is a simple one, so far as this association is concerned, namely: Whether the basic wage of 1914 (£X6o) should, or should not, bo improved to the extent of the known inreases in '

the cost of living with consequential adjustments above a,nd below ,tho now basic point to cover special skill, education, and responsibilities, or to meet the case of officers being trained. As the principal business qf this conference revolves around this essential point, it is hoped that you can not only answer to tho query in the first part of this letter, but that you can also give an answer to the major point as well.” MR MASSEY’S REPLY. ' Mr Massey’s reply, dated JiinoTlth» was as follows;—“I have to'acknowledge tho receipt of your letter of yesterday, from which X am Sorry to learn that my reply to which you refer is not clearly understood by yourself or the members of your association. The position is to my mind very simple. As soon as the Government receives thei recommendations from tho tribunals which are dealing with the wages and conditions of the railwayman, the whole question of what bonus should be granted to postal officers and other members of the Public Service will be considered by Cabinet, and their decision so far as the Post and Telegraph Department ia concerned will be made known to your organisation. I understand that the tribunal, dealing with the matters in which the locomotive men belonging to the Railway Department are interested, will conclude its sittings to-day, or not later than tomorrow. Then the Railway Officers’ Institute tribunal will be immediately convened, but as their business may be said to be not so complicated as is the case with the other two branches of the railway service, its : sittings should not take long.” . INDIGNATION EXPRESSED.

Upon receipt of this communication conference expressed its strongest indignation that P. and T. officers’ grievances should be settled on the basis of railway grievances and conditions instead of on their own merits; absolute astonishment was voiced that an important salary question which has been before, the Government since May last should be now converted into a bonus question. Accordingly an urgent message embodying tbe feelings of the delegates was sent to Mr Massey and conference adjourned till the evening, by which time it was expected a reply would be to hand. f PREMIER, TO MEET OFFICERS.

Tho Prime Minister’s reply, read at tile commencement of the evening session, was to the effect that ho would meet the conference as soon as the Postmaster-General,, the Hon. Mr J. Postmaster-General, the Hon. J. The conference will resume its deliberations at 9.30 a.m. this morning. A special general meeting of the Wellington section of the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Officers’ Association will be held iu tho Masonic Hall, Boulcott street, at 8 o’clock tonight, when the Prime Minister’s reply to the recent conference will bo dis cussed.