POST AND TELEGRAPH.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1917, Page 6

POST AND TELEGRAPH.

CONFERENCE'S RESOLUTIONS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, August '2S. The Post and Telegraph Conference •passed resolutions as follows: — That this conference endorses the efforts of the grand council of State Servants in regard to the efforts made towards reducing the high cost of living, asks it again to impress upon the Government the necessity for making a practical effort to fix such maximum prices for household commodities as effectually to eliminate undue profits in production and marketing the same. If 'the difficulties of doing this are held to be insurmountable, then salaries and wages should be periodically raised to make "real" wages ruling prior to the 'war and at the present time equal. That the conference is of opinion that the Government should be asked to exercise the powers conferred on it by section 24 of the Public Service Act and grant a pro rata, increase in salary to cover the decreased spending power of the sovereign since the commencement of the war. That salaries should be paid fortnightly, so as to assist the lower paid oilicers to take the fullest advantage of die benefits of paying cash for their requirements. That the conference urges that the war bonus already provided for by the Minister for Finance should be allocated on a sliding scale, the number of family of officer concerned to be taken into consideration, while the bonus allotted the single officer drawing small salaries should be increased. That this association regrets the Government which took great care (through the Defence Minister) to -recommend employers to help recruiting by granting »>art pay and allowances to employees on active service, cannot grant part of their civil pay to public servants on active service, and urges that half the civil pay bo granted to all public servants, such payment to be retrospective; at least half pay should be granted all officers performing specialists' duties. That the Department be urged now to give preference to married men for specialist positions, and that men with practical experience be selected for these duties. That this conference places on record its appreciation of the secretary's endeavor to release all oilicers volunteering or called up for service with the expeditionary force.