POSTAL SERVICE

Southland Times, Issue 18840, 5 June 1920, Page 5

POSTAL SERVICE

THE PREVALENT UNREST. STATEMENT BY THE POSTMASTERGENERAL. (Per United Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 4. The unrest in the Post and Telegraph Department was the subject of some remarks by the Postmaster-General. He said that the officials’ claims would bo dealt with as soon as consideration of the railwaymen’s case had been concluded. Referring more particularly to the demand by many members of the Post and Telegraph Fervice who went to the war as active combatants to be placed on an equal footing with others who joined the Postal ami Signalling Corps, and in consequence received half their civilian pay, the Minister said he sympathised with those who had not received half pay. It was a very unfair thing to make this difference, and obviously the grant of half pay to one section of the service and not to the other should not have been marie. “It was done, am! there is the end of it so far as I ant concerned,” said Mr Coates. “I would he pleased if I could place all the men on an equal footing, but the Government has considered the matter on several occasions, and the position is that wc cannot make the concession. Personally 1 would certainly like to see those men who fought in the ranks get half their civil pay, because I think (hey deserve it more than men who went away with (he Postal Corps, that is, having regard to the difference in their duties. 1 say this as a matter of principle, not that I agree with the granting of civil pay in the first instance.”