P. & T. Appeals Disallowed by Board

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 898, 15 February 1930, Page 13

P. & T. Appeals Disallowed by Board

ROYAL COMMISSION WANTED OPINION OF COUNSEL The appeals of the six Auckland telegraph operators, who were discharged recently after a departmental inquiry, have been disallowed by the Post and Telegraph Appeal Board. Mr. C. A. L. Treadwell, of Wellington, who appeared for the men, said that in his opinion a Royal Commission was necessary. Then the whole of the allegations regarding betting in the telegraph office at Auckland could be fully ventilated. The board had apparently made up its mind in a few hours last evening. The Appeal Board consisted of the following:—Mr. J. Burns, representing the men; Mr. A. Shanks, a superannuated officer: and Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M. Mr. Treadwell and Mr. R. P. Hunt (Auckland) were counsel fpr both the dismissed men and the P. and T. Officers’ Association. Mr: V. R. Meredith, Crown Prosecutor, represented the department. Mr. Treadwell said this morning that the appeals took a day and ahalf in hearing- and a great deal of argument was heard. Pie had undertaken to provide Mr. Cutten with a verbatim report of the cross-examina-tion of the two departmental investigators, Messrs. Ogilvie and Dawson. Mr. Treadwell said he did not think it was possible for the board to consider the six., cases in a few hours. This had apparently been done, however. He thinks that to restore confidence and see that justice is done a Royal Commission should investigate the whole thing.