POSTAL SERVICE

Southland Times, Issue 18845, 10 June 1920, Page 5

POSTAL SERVICE

CONFERENCE AT WELLINGTON. THE OFFICERS’ GRIEVANCES. (Per Uuited Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 9. A conference of thirty representatives of branches of the Post and Telegraph Officers’ Association met this morning under the presidency of Mr J. H. MacKenzie (Hastings). The agenda paper includes discussion on matters recently placed before the Prime Minister by the Post, and Telegraph deputation to which no reply has yet been received: (1) A demand for an increase in the basic wage to bring it up to the spending value of 1914; and (2) the outstanding war bonus promised by Sir Joseph Ward, in full. The report shows that the membership totals 6750. The balance sheet discloses receipts amounting to £4215 and expenditure, £2871. Discussing the cost of living the report states: The continued rise in the cost of living has been a regret fable feature of (he year, profits still being piled on profits with no check or hindrance worthy of the name I so far as the consumer is concerned. In common with all fixed salaried people the decreased value of the pound sterling hit members hard and more than once stirred them to a high pitch. The recent announcement of a “cost of living bonus" did not case the tension, because, almost coupled with it came the announcement, that the cost of living in twelve months had risen from 27 per cent, to 62 per cent. To ask married men to accept one shilling and single officers sixpence per day as adequately bridging the gap was ridiculous, but one takes into account the general belief that if the Board of Trade had announced an increase of one hundred per cent, it would have been nearer the mark. One can only wonder at the patience and forbearance shown. Disxussing constitutional versus unconstitutional means of removing grievances, the report states: —Faith in constitutional means has been badly shaken. One has only to remember the history of industrial agitation recently to understand why the unconstitutional (so-called) people have almost invariably attained their object in a short space of time, while constitutional people have had to wait long and patiently for a result. The position ought to be reversed. Therefore members are asked to consider whether the time has not arrived when the Government should be faced with the logic of the position and asked in pointed terms what is going to be done about it. The Conference delegates were engaged on detail business in connection with their organisation (luring the whole of to-day. The formal opening of the proceedings will be the first business to-morrow morning, the late arrival of the southern delegates, through the delay to the ferry steamer, making this arrangement desirable. The Order Paper is a long one, but the principal business, of a pro rata increase of the basic salary to bring it. up to the spending value of 1014, will take precedence. So far no definite reply has been received from the Prime Minister to the representations made to him on May 4 last. In" a letter dated June 7, Mr Massey states that the Government has no desire to delay action on the important matters j brought forward at the May interview, hut he hopes the Association will understand that it is not possible to deal finally with the requests until the matters in dispute with the railway employees are disposed of. This letter has not come up for discussion yet, but considerable uneasiness has been expressed, as the Post and Telegraph Officers’ Association has had no opportunity of being heard, and it is thought possible that settlements arrived at by the railway tribunal will definitely affect the questions raised by the Post and Telegraph Officers’ Association, excluding, of course, the outstanding position of the war bonus promised to the Post and Telegraph .Service by Sir Joseph Ward when he was Minister of Finance in the National Government.