NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4472, 7 October 1909, Page 2

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Regulations have been issued providing for the payment of overtime in the Post gpd Telegraph Department. Payment

for overtime is to be made at the following rates :—To officers drawing salaries exceeding £250, Post Office 2s 6d an hour; officers OVHBTIMo. drawing salaries exceeding £2OO and not exceeding £250, 2s ; officers drawing salaries exceeding £IOO and not exceeding £2OO, Is 6d ; cadets and cadettes, Is; other officers drawing salaries not exceeding £IOO, Is ; telegraph messengers, 6d. Payment will be made at a rate and a half overtime at all hours on Sunday for every purpose, and on week days between 10 p.m and 5 a.m only, when mails are specially anthorised by the Secretary General Post Office, to be sorted. No overtime allowance will be made to officers of either branch of the service unless the extra attendance exceeds twenty minutes. In lieu of payment for overtime it is optional with the Minister to allow an equivalent reduction of ordinary duty either immediately before or immediately after the overtime duty is performed, at a rate of au hour and a half for every hour of overtime worked on Sunday, and at the rate of an hour for an hour at all other times. *****

That the business people of Te Aroha fully appreciate the innumerable advantages of being linked up with a telephone exchange is evidenced by the marked increase in the number of its subscribers

since its inception Our Telephone several years ago. Exchange. When Mr Lamb and

ajfew others interested themselves in the matter of making Te Aroha more up-to-date in the way of telephonic communication, many were sceptical as to the need for it, and prophesied that only failure would result. However, the required number of subscribers were eventually obtained, and after the usual preliminaries bad been gone through by the Department, it whs not long before the Exchange was in working order. The list has gradually swelled, until at the present time it is double the original number. The local Exchange is on the eve of being placed on another step in the ladder of progress, which will increase the time at which we may use the ’phone. A retrograde step was taken by the Department about a month ago, whereby Te Aroha was cut off from holding direct communication with Auckland. A good deal of dissatisfaction was expressed, and the Head Offiee was appealed to from time to time to repeal the order. We are pleased to be able to state that the re striction has been removed, and that we can converse with Auckland as before.

During the past few days Members of Parliament have been making their way toward Wellington in order to be present at the second session -the first working session —of the 17th Parliament of the Dominion, which opens this (Thursday) afternoon. It is expected that the Session will last until well on in December. Many important questions will be brought forward, and we hopo that our representatives will settle down to work in real earnest, and make up for lost time. Principal amongst the subjects will bo that of New Zealand’s attitude in regard to the defence of the Empire, as well as the matter of domestic defence. The presentation by Sir Joseph Ward of the official report of the Defence Conference will open the way for the discussion of Imperial defence, whilst the debate on internal defence and the question of national training will probably take place on proposals which the Government has promised to submit to the House. Amongst the new Bills which have been foreshadowed by the Prime Minister and other Ministers are the National Annuities Bill, a Land Settlement Finance Bill, a Native Land Bill, and amendments to various Acts, including the Friendly Societies, Hospital and Charitable Aid, Bankruptcy, and Education Acts. An increase in the death duties has also been hinted at, whilst the position in regard to “ miners’ disease,” or “ pneumoconiosis,” which created so much trouble at the beginning of the year, may require legislative adjustment. Then, of course, such matters as the Government’s retrenchment policy, the position of the finances, the unemployed and other subjects will afford a full share of food for the oratorial powers of members.

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