A BONE OF CONTENTION.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3480, 7 May 1920, Page 6

A BONE OF CONTENTION.

SIR J. VVARD’S BONUS.

CHIEF JUSTICE ’S ‘VIEW, ‘

MR MASSEY QUOTES REPORT.

,WELLINGTON_ Tuesday.

The war bonus alleged to have been promised by Sir Joseph Ward to the Officers of the Post and Telegraph Department. was mentioned by a deputation from the executive of the Post and Telegraph Association which «waited to-day on the Prime Minister and the Postmaster-General. The‘ facts about this bonus are somewhat involved. The first that was heard of it puibliciy was when; in November last, after Sir Joseph Ward had resigned frem the Government, he asked in the Heuse of Representatives whether the Government proposed t 0 pay the bonus. Mr Coates, then Act-ing-Postmaster-General, firoduced the Cabinet minute dealing with the mat? ter, in which it was recorded that the Cabinet decided that the bonus was to be given only to those officers who had not benefited by the then’ recent regrading to the amount of the bonus. In thesecases the balance was to be made up.’ The question of whether the Government Should in_ any event pay the bonus was pressed and the question was referred to Sir Robert Stout for a report. M INTERVAL OF A YEAR.

For the first. time, to-day Mr Massey co-mmuncated something of the contents of this report. Mr Massey said this matter of the bonus had been considered by the Government a great deal. The alleged promise by‘ Sir Joseph Ward was supposed to have been made in’ November, 1918, and so far as he could understand it had not been mentioned again until November, 1919. It was a. very extraordinary thing that ‘a promise alleged to have been made should be not men-

tioned for a period of twelve months. Mr Combs said that in April, 1919, he Wrote to the Department asking when the service might expect some information regarding the outstanding bonus which would have been due from April to September. The Department sent a non-committal reply to the effect that it had no information. .

Mr Massey said that a bonus was paid from September, T9lB, to March, 1919. What time had the regrarling of the -service taken place? ‘ Mr Combs said that the classification came out early in Julie, 1919. The association approached Sir Joseph i_NVa,rd immediately on his retu'rll from England, ‘but. he resigned -his portfolio ‘very soon afterwards and the matter was not fhen settled. Mr Massey: But during his absence _Sir Joseph \4Val-d was represented in the Cabinet by Mr. MacDonald as Postmaster-General. _ '

THE CABINET ANDSIR J_ WARD. Theie was a good deal 6f doubt about this promise,‘ continued the Prime Minister, and the Government asked flsir Roberf ‘Stout who, he thought? they would ‘ admit, was a. ‘thoroughly unbiassed man, to give an opinion on it. He quoted what ‘Sir Egoberp Stout said in his repori: as fol‘lows:——- ' _ V , »

} p “I have no doubt vvhatever tliat Sir j 'Joseph Ward thought that what he \g advised the Cabinet to approve,’ and W What the Cabinet -did approve on De“i cember 11, 1918, was a fulfilfifent of V!‘ the promise he had mafie to the post \: and telegraph officials and that there was no breach of that promise or ; statement‘ in what. the Cabinet did agree to.” _‘ ,

*5 “NoW,’\’ Mr Massey went on, “is ‘T that sufficiently definite for anyone here? I do not think you can get‘ a _ plainer statement than‘ that. It says ‘N in effect that Sir Joseph Vvard did keep his promise and he did bring it before the Cabinet. Sir Robert Stout ‘ said a1so:- \ “ ‘lt had not been explained to the! post and telegraph officials that the lh sideration.’ In‘ ‘another place he said, ‘This point of View was not discussed and it cannot be said that there has been any breach of faith in {he Cabi inet deciding upon the method of paying the doubie Wfir bonus.’

N 3 THE LAST‘ KEGRADING. \ V ii “In another place he refers to the ‘ zregrading that took place, and he sug- »; gests that the war bonus was taken h into account when the regrading was‘ ‘I going on. Now that is not The case] {N I have_‘taken the opportunity of con-\ L - Sultation with members of the board‘ i he'_r'e_,_to-day, who _took part In the regfading, and I aid assured the bonus was not in their minds when the regrading was takenfzinto consifieration. Sir Robert Stout [said also that if it was a fact that the bonTl:<'. was taken “‘.’TDtO consideration, and that the inareases from regrading were less than it_~was for the Executive to cfinsider _ gwhetherp or not" a. special concession Lahould be made to officers,of the Post

rnnd Telegraph Depzu-tlnent. Now, I ,have it from the otficcei-5 who made ?the regrading,_ that the promised ibonus was not taken into consideration, and that nothing was taken into account except the service of the officer. his merit, and the value of his services. Those two points stand out clear and distinct in‘ the 1-eport,t‘and any ofiicer of the‘Depa.l-tment is at liberty to read it for himself.” Mr Combs asked for a, copy of the report. and this Mr Massey agreed to supply. “