POST AND TELEGRAPH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 308, 7 June 1915, Page 6

POST AND TELEGRAPH.

CONFERENCE OF OFFICERS.

-MANY REQUESTS MADE,

Wellington, June f>,

The I.'ost and Telegraph Oilicers' Conference, which commenced on Tuesday last, dealt with the reorganisation of the Post and Telegraph Officers' Association. Jt was decided after a lengthy discussion that the time 'iad arrived when the Association should have an officer who could devote all his time to the Work, To meet the extra expenses entailed by the change it was agreed that the annual subscription be increased, and that the Association become incorporated under Hhc Unclassified Societies Act.

It was agreed to ask the Commissioner to place officers of the l'ost aim Telegraph Department on the same footing as other public servants wiijr regard to medical ceiiificatus after absence on sick leave; that the Commissioner be asked to review the conditions of expeditionary force leave, with a view to granting half-pay to all officers who are accepted by the Defence, authorities; that the Conference considers that members of the Post and Telegraph Department who volunteered for service abroad, and were forced to resign because leave was refused them, should he reinstated and placed on leave so that should the" desire to re-enter the sen ice on their return to New Zealand they may be able to do so without losing their/ seniority or superannuation; that representation be made to the Government urging that Clause ol of the Public Service Act, 1012 (the right to. the commissioner to dismiss any ollicer without giving any reason) l.e repealed in the first .Amending Act; that the confereme deplores the 'fact that full reports of* all interviews held by duly appointed representatives of,the association are not supplied to the Department for publication ill the official'journal as heretofore, and urges upon the commissioner the reconsideration of his decision to withhold such reports; that the conference aliinns the principle, that in all cases where it is necessary to relieve a senior ollicer filling a position which liossibly will he raised in grade the officer next in line for promotion he the one selected to temporarily fill the position; that the sub-postmasters in extremely isolated ollices be granted quarters rent free and a locality allowance at 'places where no rent of official quarters is paid at present; that moneyorder branches in the first grade suboffices he brought into line with the chief offii.-es as regards Saturday hours of attendance; that steps should be taken to have the. construction of the Appeal "Board altered to allow of a Stipendiary Magistrate being chairman of the board, and that counsel be allowed to appear on behalf of any appellant; that in the opinion of this association the official replies to, appeals heard by the Appeal Board should reach the appellant direct from the board, that such replies set out the grounds for the decision arrived at, and that the Appeal Board should sit with open doors.