POSTAL WORKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 October 1919, Page 3

POSTAL WORKERS.

QUESTION OF A BONUS. PROMISE TO BE FULFILLED. (By Wire.—Own Correspondent.) "SB Wellington, Last Night. The question whether or not the Government is bound by a promise made by Sir .Tosph Ward, as Postmas-ter-Gcßeral, to tile Post and Telegraph officers was raised again in the House to-day. The facts are that Sir Joseph Ward, before going to England at the end of last year, told the Post and Telegraph officers that the war bonus would be continued until October 1 of this year. The promise was made definitely on two occasions. The bonus has not been paid since March 31 of this year on the ground that the rcgrading of the service ended the bonus. The point in dispute is the interpretation of two Cabinet minutes, one on which Sir •Toseph Ward based his promise, and the other a later minute rescinding the first minute. Sir Joseph Ward stated liia side of the case at length. He argued, in effect, that he had made a definite promise with the authority of Cabinet that the money allotted by Cabinet for the payment of war bonuses had not all been expended, and that' the present Government ought to honor the prrimise. The present Postmaster-General (the Hon. J. G. Coates) replied that he could not find definite evidence that the promise had been made with the authority of Cabinet. Mr Massey closed the dispute by saying that he had no doubt the promise had been made. He thought that, in the rush of leaving for the War Conn ference Sir Joseph Ward' had forgotten to make the recommendation to Cabinet, but the promise had' been made by the then Postmas'fr-General, and the only thing to do now was to pay the money as soon as arrangements could be made. Sir Joseph Ward mentioned that the amount involved was in the neighborhood of £40,000.