P. AND T. ASSOCIATION.

Shannon News, 1 March 1927, Page 3

P. AND T. ASSOCIATION.

MANAWATU SECTION. ANNUAL REUNION HELD IN LEVIN. The annual dinner of the Manawatu section of the N.Z. Post and Telegraph Officers' Association was held in the Druids' Hall, Levin, on Saturday nightj. Mr G. W. Kerr jpresided over an attendance of about 50 members. Apologies for absence were received from the Mavor of Levin (Mr T. Hobson), Messrs J. Linklater, M.P., ■ T,. F. Gibson (chairman Levin Chamber of Com : merce). A. Dawson (Chief Postmaster, Paimerston Noith), J. Newton (postmaster, Poxton), J. H. Jones (postmaster, Shannon), and B. W. Percy*, Kiornan, Hawke and Inder (retired postmasters),, and Mr J. Bf. Bateman. The following toasts were honoured"The King," proposed by the chairman. "Local Bodies," proposed by Mr C. D. McEwan and responded to by Mr A. G. Donald (Levin Chamber of Commerce). "The Post and Telegraph Association," proposed by Mr MVHyland and responded to by Mr J. 11. McKenzie (general secretary). , " "DEFENCE, NOT DEFIANCE." Mr Hyland f,aid that the Post and Telegraph Association was a very livo organisation, with a membership .of. 7000 and 19 or 20 sections. He did not know how many non-members' there were, but he thought that if they reflected on what the Association was doing for the service as a whole, they might realise that it was their duty to become members. It was not the nominal subscription that was keeping them out, but he thought they had got. the idea that the Association was of no use to them. If they considered the events that had taken place and the privileges that had accrued to members since the formation of the organisation, they would agree that it had done some good for the service. They would not be in the position they were in to-day if they had not this association to represent their interests. The policy of this body shduld be "Defence, not defiance";* and if this was. the case, they would progress all right as far as the Department was concerned. PROGEESS OF THE ASSOCIATION. Mr McKenzie said he thought the time was opportune to give a resume of the history of the Association. The executive had had a request to have the history of the organisation compiled. The Association originated in Dunedin, and the pioneers behind the movement were impressed with the need for it. If the present members knew what those pioneers had to go through in forming the «,—A*iß'ciation they would greatly honour them. The organisation could be a much stronger force if it had the support of all those in the service. Itshould stand for the social as well as the material welfare of the officers. Unfortunately the former aspect seemed to bave been-somewhat neglectedf. The action of the executive in arranging to have this gathering held iu Levin was a very laudable'one. In meeting on this oecasitra the headquarters' officials wefe coming into contact with outlying members. FINANCIAL POSITION. At the present time it would be wise to say a little in regard to the finances of the Association. Many of the members might be surprised to know that for.the year ended March 31st the subscriptions amounted to £5555 10s 9d, >„;*uui irom.that sum was deducted ,£IO2G to be paid into the widows' fund. Un d=er that fund & married officer's widow was entitled to £SO, and an unmarried officers.' parents or dependants to £2O JReeently there was a mild wave of in ■ fluenza and a number of distressing eases where the breadwinner had bee.taken away. They could understand what a sum of £SO would mean uhdeT such Sufficient was no> said about the benefit to the members and they should not treat the subscription lightly. The speaker appealed tc members to build up their journal ti> be thoroughly expressive of the servic. l and its aims and requirements. It was necessary to stress the need for the membership to do its own thinking. There had been occasions when therj was a danger of their being stampedeti into action which would be against their interests. They would remembe: the action of the Post and Telegraph workers in regard to the Alliance of .Labour, and what a vast amount of opposition and propaganda work therewas. PRICE-FIXING MOVEMENT. An-organisation that was doing its • utmost to stir up the public and trying to make them think that its members were not getting a square deal, was the Farmers' Union. It. was a pretty well organised body, and it had some able leaders as far as making themselves heard w'a,s concerned!. On? of their activities was to complain about the customs tariff and the fact that although the farmers had to pay the increases they could not pa;s them on. He noticed that Mr Poison had laid particular stress on his subject and on the cost of living as affecting the farmer. The speaker was interested at the time in a movement in Wellington to oppose the setting-up of the Pro prietary Articles Trading Association. Mr Poison was approached, to see if he would oppose that association, in view of his remarks on the cost of living. So far he had not replied, and there was now a commission taking evidence as to whether that association should be registered. Tf a leader denounced something that was inimical to his association, it was reasonable to expect that when he was approached in this connection he would give a little assistance. The proposed- society would black-list every retailer who sold under a price fixed by it. The P> and T. Association had tried to get some re-

presentation of the public on the commission, but its sittings were being held in committee. However, in conjunction with the railway service, they had appointed a solhitor to give evidence for them. DISTEICT ORGANISATION. "The Manawatu Executive," proposed bv Mr B. Magee (Postmaster at Levin) and responded to by Mr J. R. Kern ' " ■ Mr Magee said that although he was .not now a member of the Association, "he had joined it in the first year of its existence. He was a member of the Levin Chamber of Commerce, which was a very good body indeed and one that was always willing to listen to the Post and Telegraph officers, to whom it was very sympathetic. The Manawatu section was one of the most "live" sections of the Association. He would like to see some of the officers of the higher ranks acting as delegates. They were perhaps afraid to nominate | themselves for that position; but he ! did not think that the Department penalised anv man who undertook that position. Referring to the old times Mr Magee recalled an occasion when Ihere was a reduction of 10 per cent, in salaries, under the Atkinson Government. The officers had 1 no way of fighting it, but the Atkinson Government went out of power as a result of the reduction!. Some'of the newer sections of the Association now were showing some of the older sections how to run affairs. The Manawatu section had done the right thing in coming to Levin to hold this function. Many officers stayed in the small towns for years and years and did not mix much with the members outside, and therefore they eould not see the good work done by rlie Association. In replying, Mr J. R. Kerr said that during the year a sub-section was format Feilding, where the members proved very enthusiastic. He hoped that it would not be long before Levin followed suit. The object in making this the location for the present annual gathering was to allow the officers in Levin, Foxton and Shannon to be present and to hear something that was in their interest. If they had heard nothing more than Mr McKenzie's speech —they would still have cause to feel satisfied. THE DEPARTMENT. "The Post and Telegraph Department," proposed by Mr C. D. McEwan and responded to by Mr J. D. Martin. Mr McEwan paid a tribute- to Sir Joseph Ward, as a former PostmasterGeneral, and stated that the sympathy of the whol-3 service would go out to him in the loss of his wife,: When they considered how thoughtful he was and how well he understood the service, their hearts would go out to him at the present time. The superannuation scheme showed signs of his handiwork, and Sir Joseph on one occasion had said to the Association, "Gentlemen, if you •on't look after your interests, nobody else will." Mr, McEwan acknowledged the close bond of sympathy existing between the postal officers and the press. He added that if the Association eould impress it upon the Department that its' requests were just, reasonable and right, time would bring its own reward. "Mr Martin said that the managing of an organisation such as that of the Post and Telegraph Department required a good deal of tact, and the princi pals had to do the fair thing with the service and the fair thing as far as they themselves were concerned. The speaker remembered Mr Magee when ae was at Bmnnerton, and that was a good many years .ago. He (Mr Martin) had been for 35 years a member of the Association and he had been one of the agitators, as they were called; but he couM not see that he had lost anything by it; and he had found that the Department did not present a deaf ear to any reasonable request. The Department was simply under the Minister, and in matters of finance the Department had to be very careful Thir ty-five yjai'3 ago men in the servicehad to'put in'2o years' work before they were entitled to £2OO a year. Si. Joseph Ward had pointed out to the Association that if they approached the Department in the right spirit, he could not see any reason why they eould not be of-assistance to the Minister. "The Press," oroposed by Mr Ma?ee, f.nd responded to by the "Chronicle" representative. "The Ladies," proposed by Mi' O'Brien, and responded to by Mr Boyd. "The Entertainers 1 ," proposed by Mr Whitehead. v On the moticn of Mr McKenzie, a heartv vote of thanks was passed by ?ip.cla». ation to the elviirman and his ■ommittce. Messrs Kerr and \ T ew'h ;cspondcd. Songs" were contributed by Messrs Retter. o'Bri.?n, and Whitehouse; trios by Messrs Whitehead, Butcher, ■uul Mc'ivor; duets by Me,sis Boyd and Me I vor and Messrs O'Brien and Whitehouse,. The pianist was Mr. S. Parson?