POST AND TELEGRAPH.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 June 1921, Page 6

POST AND TELEGRAPH.

ANNUAL reunion. The annual re-union of the New Plymouth branch of the Post and Telegraph Department was held in the Kawaroa bungalow on Monday night, when Mr. •J. Gillick, chairman of the local branch, presided over an attendance of about 70 members, including a considerable number of nidies. Among the guests present were Messrs. S. G. Smith, M.P., E. P. Webster (president of the Chamber of Commerce), 11. E. Coombes (organising secretary for the Dominion), H. H. Brown (vice-president of the New Zealand Association). After the usual loyal toast proposed by the chairman had been enthusiastically honored, the toast of the “P. and T. Department’’ was proposed by Mr. T. €. List (vice-president of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce), who said that non-competitive businesses generally connoted inefficiency and non-pro-gressiveness, but the P. and T. was a striking exception, it being well managed an 1 conducted on business lines. Some State monopolies were unresponsive to the needs of the public, and sat tight when proposals for improvements were made, but the P. and T. often anticipated needs, citing in support the Department’s enterprise in pioneering penny postage, cheap telegrams, rural deliveries and rural telephones. The Department had played an important part in the development of the country, and most New Zealanders wore proud of it. This satisfactory result was largely due to the vision and capacity of the men at the head, and the high standard of ability and loyalty of the rank and tile. He took the opportunity, on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, to acknowledge the readiness of the local office to act upon suggestions for improvement of postal facilities, etc., and the courtesy and consideration the business community always received at the. hands of the staff of the telephone exchange, which was conducted in a manner reflecting the greatest credit upon the girls of all the others concerned. Mr. Broadfoot, acting Chief Postmaster, assured them that the Department

was out to give efficient service.-He was sure all members were thoroughly loyal and aiming to attain the high standard set by the Department. Mr. 11. E. Fookes, Superintendent of Telegraphs, said that the Department had found it necessary to bring in the seven hours straight duty for girls on the telephone board. As Mr. Wilford. M.P., had said, it was a very strenuous thing for girls to sit at the telephone hoard for seven hours on end with the head gear and pay attention so as to give efficient service, and he hoped the Department would be to see its way to rescind this regulation. “The Parliament of New Zealand” was proposed by Mr. H. C. Fookes. and responded to by Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., who stated that from personal experience he could say that the association had always been fortunate in the officers it had placed at the head of afffairs, and he paid a tribute to Mr. Coombes, the secretary, who was most zealous and most anxious to promote the interests of the association. Referring to the association’s journal The Katipo, he said it had contained much interesting matter of late, and at the next session, of Parliament no doubt many extracts would be contained in the sacred pages of Hansard, as questions would be ashed and answered. From the youngest messenger to the C.P.M., he had always received courtesy and attention. He '•greed that the seven hours straight duty should be abolished. He touched on the important problems to be dealt with, and he believed that next session would see certain reform: brought in beneficial to the public service and the community as a whole. He promised to do his best to promote the interests of the P. and T. Association.

Mr. J. Hamilton, in proposing “Local Bodies,” considered it should be an instruction that postmasters should be members of the Chamber of Commerce fri their town, so that, the faeiliies of the Department should be readily available to assist the commerce and business of the community generally. The Postal and Telegraph might be called the nerves of the community, and he stressed the point that the Department should be more in touch with local bodies so that the facilities of party telephone lines and rural deliveries might be more readily taken advantage of. Mr. E. P. Webster (president of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce), in a very happy speech, devoted chiefly to “the boys,” said that the Post and Telegraph Department was a live body, being out in the interests of the public to do the best it possibly could for the public. The growth of work in Taranaki, particularly in the Savings Bank Department, showed a tremendous increase, and additional space in the building was urgently required.

“Kindred Associations” was proposed by Mr. W. Ainsworth, who considered that the various associations should band together more than at present. The past records of all Government associations showed that they always endeavored to obtain their ends by constitutional means.

Messrs. McNeill (Public Service Association), Winter (A.S.R.S.), McLean (Railway Officers’ Institute) and Anstis (E.F.C.A.) responded. Other toasts were “The Post and Telegraph Department’’ (reported at length elsewhere); “The Ladies,” proposed by Mr. G. Gilbert; “Our Guests,” proposed by Mr. W, H. G. Brown and re«

sponded to by Messrs. H. H. Brown and H. E. Coombes; “The Press,” proposed by Mr. L. H. Honeyfield and responded to by Messrs. \V. J. Penn and T. C. List; and “The Chairman,” proposed by' Mr. List, and duly responded to by the chairman. During the evening an excellent musical programme was rendered, items being rendered by Mrs. Gilick, Messrs. North, Brooker, Ainsworth, J. Gillick, H. C. Fookes, A. B. Macdonald, and accompaniments were played by Airs. Gillick and Mr. Morey.