THE POSTAL SERVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1922, Page 4

THE POSTAL SERVICE.

COSTS GREATER THAN REVENUE. MINISTER GIVES REASONS. P. AND T. AND LABOR. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The position in the post and telegraph service was dealt with by the Postmas-ter-General (Holl. J. G. Coates) in the House to-night. He stated that almost for the first time in its history the department in 1920-21 showed an excess of expenditure over revenue. It then became the duty of officers to readjust the balances. The position had been complicated by the war, and the effect o-f that disturbance was still being felt. Owing to the fact that so many of their officers had left for the war others had to be taken on to keep the services running, and when the men came back they were necessarily for a time overstaffed, causing increased expenditure. By degrees this over-staffing had been remedied. Retrenchment was taking place steadily, but lie refused to comply with the demand that wholesale sackings should take place. So far they had made savings of between £140,000 and £150,000, and this was going on. The increased cost of materials used was an enormous factor in increasing the cost of running the department. The cut in bonuses this year would amount to £63.000, 'which he very much regretted, but increases would amount to £52,000, which would not quite put men back to their position before the cut was made.

So far as he was personally concerned the Post and Telegraph Association had known all along that he was against affiliation with the Alliance of Labor. In this attitude, however, he always tried to be fair, and he repudiated the suggestion of victimisation; the Government never thought of doing any such thing. The Government was of opinion that the general public was opposed to the P. and T. Association’s affiliation with an outside body, and believing this, they had refused to give their consent to affiliation. It was a debatable point whether he should not have refused absolutely to permit, a ballot being taken, but he had not taken up that stand, and while he advised all officers to vote he could only regret they had not voted the way he wished them to. Personally he was deeply interested in the P. and T. service, ana he at all times desired to assist the staff in any way in his power.