THE P. AND T. TROUBLE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3476, 3 May 1920, Page 7

THE P. AND T. TROUBLE.

P()SIT1ON OF THIS r<.li}R\"lCE OUTLINED. S'l‘.»\'l.‘l£.\lE;\"'].‘ BY \"_[CIfl—I"RJ<JHIZDENT. WELLINGTON. .~Xl_n-i1 30. Mr H. G-. Brown, vi.co-pl'esidvnt of‘ the North Island I’. and T. Ofi3<:el's’ Associzltion, interviewed regurdin-g: the In.eauing of the r.osolutions passed the meaning of the resolutions p:1s.~:od in v:n'ious parts of the coulll'l'y, szlid the posit‘i(nl \\'u.< one requiring /.1 frank o:q;l'ossion of opinion. In 191% the wlmle sc-1-vice con.~'ifl.(3rod I:helnsclVos‘ in-

:l(léqu:ltel_\f paid. Since then the officor:-*. had not ell<i<rn\'oLll'e(l to oinbzlmss the I)epart'znent and had flC(f(‘pi'(‘d :1. Wm‘ bonus as :1 purst IIICIISIII'C towzlrds n:»<‘(.-ting Hm‘ illC:l'v:l.<od cost of living. Hm-.‘€.\'ol'. the cost of living had now

outgrown the war bonus allotted, and the Government; decided in 1918 that I'(‘L'lil>‘.Slfi(‘:l‘[l()ll of the service was (!:s>'e‘lltial. The I'evised classification list‘ of last year proved totally inadequate. more espouially to the mnk and file. C)tlict‘l's consi.del'ed they were entitled to maintain tlle pre-War standard of living. The service held that they were entitled to at least. a salary lJLlS(l(l on pro-war 1-:lt'es, with the annual lllC‘l'GlllClliS to Iwliieh pfticers were entitlotl be;t’oi'o rezlching the maximnni of tlloil' respective classes, plus (.52 per cent. which the Government itself assessed as the increased cost of living. Mr Brown stressed that the nmximum salary of oflicers of the 'Dep:ll'tlllellt was not comniensmate with the xvork pel't‘ornle(l. Resignatit,>n.< \\'el'c common thl'oug'llont the fi(‘l‘\‘l(‘(', oflicers I'oe.ei\'illg only 13/ 21 11:1)’. This vmnpared very unt’:tvoul':1l)l_\' with nities ruling (mtside. Con-it tinuin-g‘. "Mr Brown snitl that so far as the proseiit cl'i;<i.< \\'u.»' (30IIC(:‘]‘Il0(l, the .l”1'in1o l\l'ini.stul- lnul stated that '.\*lnlt'ever w:l.~_-' gtonteal to the I'a'llw:ly '.\'ollltl be givmi to the rest of the Public 801'vico. This included P. and '.l‘. KllOlll- - who \\'m'r:= .:lil-eetly (-.oneel'ne(l in the :ilu<:os.< or failure of the cum.) oi’ the I':iil\\':lynlm3. .5i110.r- February sth last, the P. and T. exe<'llti‘:e hurl lwmi €ll<l-:-zivolliizig to .<wl'l'e an llli‘(‘l‘\.'lo\\—' with the Postmzister—Gonei':il amt the I)}'l,l]l|‘ MAil]ist(‘l‘ ['o (llH(‘l_‘.SS g‘?.‘l,(,‘\‘.’lll('(‘.\'. but the l:lttel' hnrl not so far 1'(_‘])li(‘(1. The last. COIlll1llllll(':lll4|‘nl on the Slll)j(‘('i-\‘-‘£ls “H.'.\lC by the pm'ln:inollt .~‘(‘(il'(“l:'ll‘;Y ml’ the .‘..°~so<3.i:ltinll, writing‘ on ls‘ebl'l.l- -- sth. TllO 'l”l'ellliel,' ‘pl'OIlllS(‘<l to fix :1 time In ineet the .~‘.\..~‘;~‘I)f:lill"lOIl. .-\.<l{e:l how the executive would View the matter if the .l’l'ellliel‘ did not. consent. Mr Bro\vll Stlltl tl1r_11: t'il(‘_\_'-,». \'.it~\\' the posi-

-%‘.i‘r.nl wiih flu) s_:"(\:li’(=.~:t' >:('z'i()llslless:.T*n;'l"<)l'tulmt'ol_\'. 7.1111‘ ]"ub}i<-, not‘ HlO Gov--3:m'nmonf, \\'ouM sllfi'm', but hr: th(nlg‘}lt ‘tho public were synvpathctic. Wi.<<lv.o1ms(‘11i11g on the parf of the public, with the Go\7'm'unlont can avoid HlO

zxu,-.~st >‘el'ior.::< <_-risis the Association ever E Im«_l_ to s:‘~.u-.0. He believed public opin-I3 -ion was strong‘ enough to pl'evail with; the statesmen of the country. ‘I s'l'm.>..w(>l~:K. ;\[EE'I‘INGS PRO- i ‘POSED. ; The 1,-hnirnaan of the ;\lanaw-atu see.-E tion of the I’. and T. Of‘ricer‘s’ Associ-Q ntion hr.L.~' I‘eceiveC :1 wire from \Vel—) lington hezidquarters teeny asking,-‘! what action the section would take if; the Government continued to side-stepi an interview. The \reply was that; Sl'()p-\\'ol'l{ meetings should be called in ‘ e\'er_y ofiiee on Monday next. A HOTLY-WORDIJD ‘R]£E>‘()LU'J‘IQN.¥ A.[7CKLAND, April 30. ’ The Executive of the Auckland see-3 tion of the Post and Telegllnplt Ofli- ;‘ C‘el'.~." .»\.<soei:ltion to-day e:u'l'ie:l the followingr hofT_\f-worcled 1':-:.:olutio11:-“We eon.<iule:' the sllelVing of the war bonus gm-mni.<ed by Sir Joseph \\"2u'«.l to be :1 <lisg‘raee to :In_\' Government. and up inrznlt to the intelligence of xnennln-2'24 ot' the Post and ’l,‘ele_g'l‘v.ph Service. We <le:<il'e that the pl'e:<s be fully -.ulvise<l that despite. fl'eqnenr requests within the I'.i_St few months no inter\.'iew with the I"renliel-I or Poetmuster-Geneml has been granted. The time is now opportune tel pl-e.-s the Claims of the service ineonjunctitm with those of the railway, that :1 definite salary, excluding bonuses, be fiixeduniinediately, ‘such s=.ll:u'ie.< to be based upon the relation 01:‘ the eost of living now and that obtaining in 1914:. In our opinion the]

Govenmient itself causing discontent by not fixing salaries on. a. fair l)asi>{. as it has made other employers (10. and any strike which has been or will be the outcome of such dillydullying will be entirely w:l.l'l'anted. To impress on ‘rho Governnl.ent ‘the feelings om the men we ask that the Executive Councils be called ‘together inlme(li:lt'ely, tcfiporarily agreeing to rule ]T.—\ (which provides for :1. montlfls notice‘). and that failing; consicleration of our denl:lnd.< the Executive instruct all branclies to call stop—l Work meetings to consi(lel' wlmt further action shall] be ta.ken. I

V\’E’STI’ORT, April 30. At a meeting of the \Vcs’cpor_t séc-’ )tion. of the T’ost and Tcleghaph »Ofh‘beers’ Association, the following 1-eso- ‘ lufiml was <»:ll'riod unanimouslyz"That thir L‘X('l‘llH‘\'o :1ppo:1] for :1 sLlb:<t:ultial ’ulcl'e:ls(3 in .<u.lzll'io.<, and thzjf 'f':1i1i11;_~; to obtain szunc, :1 ballot be taken with u View to c]l'zlstic nation." 'l‘l.\l.Q'.\_RU. .\pl'i] SW. Al‘ :1‘ \»'Ml-:\1l«‘nr1«)d xm-utiu_Q; of the 'I'i::::1H'. };1':,~.I:-'33 M.‘ 11:0 7‘n.<f {HI4I TOIO- - &’>l‘{':z-1.-2+" :\.~‘.~‘(u-1:111-:w:z. 11:0 fol10\‘~."1zw_;‘ I‘<';~'HlL!‘.iu!l:»' \\«‘l‘L‘ ‘r"“'l‘i(‘l'l:— 4-"_{“;;;,.: :1-;i.< -.::«u.“;i1':;‘ S‘{l‘ull'f_{‘l_\f :'”<‘-C—‘llf.= [hp ]’3‘7l:l«' ‘f\li:1§.~:I(-1“>' d*}.<c<>ll:*tu()ll,~: txw-:l£'nlvnt nf mxl‘ oxev:'llti\'e <-011m1it’rN_‘% in :':’-i‘u.<iz._;' in 9.:-:‘::::‘<T_w an illi'«\l'\'ie\\.‘j as }‘m‘\'illl'..~'T._‘.' I'-romised. \\'o I'c(luo::'t‘ Hm.-‘ thu executive demand :\ I'i;_:}'.t‘ to ‘:w }w:m]. and fllflt"t])c Prime Milli.<te:ho requested to al'range an illt«.-I'\'i«=.~.-.'

forthwith, and ;t'urthc'l" we again press for the .’imnl:ediate payment of the Wlll’ bonus promisenl by Sir Joeeph Ward. Failing reasonable attitude on the part of the Prime Minister, We request the executive to immediately arrange :1 secret ballot to decide on furtlier course of action. That this meeting tenders the rziilwaymen its best wishes for the successful and e:ll'l_V terniination of their_ fight for in*.~pl'uvo(l conditions, and informs this Associ.zltion’s executive that it is‘ f:l.voul‘able to striking a levy to fillilll-« cially assist. the men affected.