A FIRM STAND.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17429, 13 April 1922, Page 7

A FIRM STAND.

jgK MASSEY AND P. AND T. OFFICERS. jfO PAETNEESHD? WITH ALLIANCE OF LABOUR. I ; (MESS ASSOCIATION TELEOBAU.) i' WELLINGTON, April 12. | A deputation representing comnieryd industrial, professional and general interests, waited on the Prime *nd tho Hon. J. G. Coates, [indtlieHon. E. P, Lee to-day to prefer pAe following requests:— I m jjmt the Government decline to I jggl with the Alliance of Labour in [»ny matters affecting Post and Tele-, ■ 12) That if the Post and Telegraph Officers' Association becomes by affiliaX part Of the Alliance, the Governmart refuse all recognition of the AsS °vjf??.' Mitchell, M.P., Mr Matthew ! ««*» (cs-president of the Chamber of Meroe) and Mr J. J. Martin (the president) briefly laid the views Ytto deputation before Ministers, <ttt»u>K the <> D J €lCfcion generally felt ianuWio servants linking up with rttnSo hostile political organisations, "niWfew tbat the sccrec y of t!le ser * *» impaired. Mr flte* ™ at wuen ne reac * tno •JnttrfHfco ballot; ho was greatly conSS iflfelt that they must .voice a C dU»L>*M» viewed the decision of the to refuse the permit of afiM&rito satisfaction. They were. "ySfly opposed to a body like the pjjjSTT Association, brain workers, sj*ftppeal boards, superannuation, frtllß tne privileges of the State ser'•riL'toing allowed to ally themselves Ufhfeos* who preached, not only di•JTaction ngamst their own immediate Spyers, but also against tho whole Sftßunity. He suggested that there rtSlome underlying reason for the dotafem. It was a. case of "under which Sj," the Government'or the Alliance ofTabour. There could be no intennodi»to position, andl it could not be tolffSted. If a clash came they stood ihonlder to ahoulcler with the Government in the fight. \ Mr Martin said that if propaganda 6uch a body as the Alliance of [labour were to be infused in the P. and ST. Department, k would tend to unlennine all loyalty and secrecy. He irged the Government absolutely to deUne to deal gith the Alliance of LaaSte in nnv nmters affecting the Post Pi ; Telegraph, and. if tho Post and became part of the Alliance, Rfertfnse recognition of the Association.

II MR MASSEY'S EEPLY. j I hi» reply, .Mr Massey said that I » gathering! representative not | of Wellington but also of New Band, was proof that the action of post and Telegraph- Officers' Aeso[lon in proposing to affiliate with Alliance of Labour had brought. jgjptti tihe public generally—and, he ||b.t, to members of the Association, ihselvea—the fact that tho officers of , Post and Telegraph. Department upied positions of very considerable ixmsibiiity and importance. Tho of the Post and' Telegraph Dethat coiwexion he to? emphasis* that the telegraph' section particularly handled correspondence and communis cations between sections of the comDiuriity in every part of New Zealand,, between merchant* iiv one port of New Zealand and probahly consumers in an« Bther part; between the people of the (ountrv and the a«d between the Government and the people, they also handled communications from fctojraeaH. lie wanted to admit right jftruy that a very large proportion of (he officers in the Telegraph Departjgjpit wore thoroughly reliable and fijtatworthy, and ho was quite certain Pp. Government and private corre■Sndenoe w as perfectly safe in their ■Htds,, But the proposal to affiliate mm- the A!liam» of Labour hacl EniAed suspicion m Uk> minds of tho ■■Bio- of tho country that, in the event Hwroubie, their correspondence Mouldi Bite wife-. He need hardly tell tihom Bfft the Government was impressed jpb, the necessity of maintaining tin; Kwrecy of the Poirt and Telegraph Department. It h%i been suggested that perhaps* the rcliWOohwent that was taking place —it wes.itat quite finished yet—had, Boraethtng to do wltfii the present troubji, He could not imagine thai suchl'HJjjs Jhe case. Retrenchment was .^^!!w>toiee«sary—he was not goino,: «» awwls—but 11S that had been don«< «*$ W*l to take back the bonuses, or jjlftt'tf (the bonuses, that were giveni ftjjpUitthe war period, and the period fwtwng the war, on account of the Iwsv'iium cost of living. That, was all Ifftd been done. Ordinate salaries ,0t been ini«rfered with, and, so |;feo was concerned, ho could not iftt officere of the Post and TeleBepartmenfc, or any other Departof State, had any particular tnee remaining. It had been the of. t)s present Government, and revious Governments, to treat in tflto employ of the State liberad. well, and to see that opportur«l given for redress of grievances, wanted, as far as they possibly to have a satisfactory miblic ser•They could not do that unless h»d a satisfied public service. cannot ha?e two Governments in Witty," ooutinned the Prime Min*'Any attempt at that eort of ,» bound to bring about chaos and wrlousi trouble." vMaaaey here referred to a chart Wo by the Alliance of ..Labour, [* toe grouping of the various Wes affiliated with tho Alliance wpartmento, with a national in. y-'-fHCouacfJ «9 the central controtfgfLtiwfhftrjfar, "It reminds me of a sSKf *#» «W Wr Massey. "That 22 w-wingi controlled WVbjg g»f w the middle, won't do/' Copies SL T* <s ' wrt) k * nad b * en > nf onn®d> W",w*a seat round to all members W_ tli» Pog* an d Telegraph Officers' B- ***?** Btjr 1*»8," Mr Massey de* i MS!*?, *»Ph»ticaJly J <'a»d I speak on ■ggjalf ef the Government, that the Go- : H£"rS$i will on no account consent ta ; ■PjWlgUon of the Post, and TeleHMPit Officers' Association with thfi pi«ioe of Labour. We are not going WS j tWs tlua B t0 & riit " i *fi**u * rat i° n ' W W loudly applaud. the 1 deputfction. . »sSS wmt w to expj" 6sß &* ' with the Association's re- j SP* *W PostasaateNGeneral. They \ Would be considered at tho inwtins of the exequdale was mentioned, and would not be this month. flP»d to hita to be an attempt to Goveinment. "We don't mSnliLj ** roeJßoere of the Aa»v * n opportunity to take anrtte k » wouW probably reCLiW' decision:" He also oo- &£? AfRJi and boys in the office t» vote on the grounl Sanf re not Permitted to take of the .coup-. that be had a pretty iattttfi2sP w^a * the next move BvTv- *>• did aot want to dis-

«bss that at present. "I just want to repeat that the Government will osi no account whatever consent to allow the Association to join the Alliance of Lapour." (Loud applause.) Sir Mitchell said the Prime Minister s reply was most satisfactory. it was not oftea that deputations were satisfied, but this one would go awav well content with the reply received.

GOVERNMENT'S LETTER TO ASSOCIATION. REI'LY WAHTED AT EARLY DATE. (special to "the peess.") WELLINGTON, April 12. There i R i n connexion with the Post and Telegraph Officers' Association, a widows' benefit fund, and probably, but for the fact that members do not wish 'to lose their contributions to this fund, there would l>e more resignations from the Association as the result of the decision to join hands with the Alliance of Labour. The subscription to the Association is on a gliding scale, something like 2s a month for officers getting over £3OO a year, Is a month for officers getting under £3OO a year, and 3d a month for messenger boys. The messenger hoy, who pays 3d*a month seems to have the siame voting power ca a high official, whose subscription is go much larger. One question that is likely to com© up for decision sooner or later, is whether such an Association should have an outside secretary. Mr Coombs, the present secretary, is no longer in tho service of this Department, and it is understood that he gets a salary of over :iooo and travelling expenses from the Association, which should have an annual income of between £SOOO and "6000. In addition, Mr Coombs is allowed to do other work, and he is also secretary of the New Zealand Rugby Union. The position is somewhat anomalous, because he can as secretary of a.n Association of Civil Servants, publicly condemn Government action. It is even possible for him to become a member of Parliament, and if the fate of the Government depended upon one .vote, the secretary of the Post and Telegraph Association could send Mr Masaey and his Cabinet into the wilderness on the question of whether or not the Post and Telegraph officers should link up with the "Red Feds," It is understood that the quarterly meeting of the executive, which Mr Coombs casually refers to in his letter 'to the Prime Minister, does not take place till May 3rd. It is unlikely that the Government will wait as long as that before taking action. This evening the Hon. J. G, Coates wrote to the secretary of the Post and Telegraph Officers' Association stating that lw's reply failed to meet tlu< desire of tho Government. "My letter of the 7th inst." says Mr, Coates, "clearly indicates that a reply was desired at the earliest possible date. ¥our statement to the effect that the matter will ho considered at the next quarterly meetthe executive committee will mean undue dolay. With a view to assisting you, facilities will be granted to members of the executive or delegates to attend at Wellington. This should enable your Association to consider the matter and reply at an early date."

WELLINGTON CHWiMBER OF OOMMEEOB BESOLUTION. (rn«ss asisociawon teleoram.) WELLINGTON, April 12. At to-day's meeting of the Chambor of <)omniorce it was reported that the following resolution of the committee had been forwarded to the Government m respect to the recent decision c-f the Post and Telegraph Officers' Association : : —"This Chamber ia strongly opposed to any section of Civil Servants linking up wjth any organisation or union of a.public character, belt either employers or employees, it is recognised that Civil Servants are in a totally different category from ordinary employees Of private employers, as the servioe ; unlike an ordinary trades union, is subsidised by tho State through (various superannuation funds, and the Service possesses means of redress through the medium of the ballot box for any grievance against their employers or State administration."

Lt moving that the action of the committee be approved, the president (Mr A. L. Hunt) said in acknowledging receipt pf the resolution the Postmas-tor-Ueneral had stated that he woula communicate with the Chamber when pub'io action was deemed necessary. It was obvious, he said, from the remarks made by Mr Massey to the deputation that morning; that the Government intended to stand Pr fall by its decision to oppene affiliation with tho Alliance of Labour. It was clear that the majority of people throughout the length and breadth of the country were opposed to the affiliation. Personally, ho believed that, the ofS'eers realised that they had made a big mistake, and they were now willing to draw out as best they could. The Council approved of the committeo'fc action in forwarding the resolution.

TO PROCEED WITH AFFILIATION. SUPPOBT OF WELLINGTON SBANCH. (FIWB3 ASSOCIATION irWJSOaAM.) WELLINGTON, April 12, The annual meeting of members of the Wellington branch of the Post and Telegraph Officers' Association was held to-night and was largely attended. The formal meeting was held in private, but a diiscussion on the question of affiliation with tine Alliance of Labour was take in ojwn. meeting. Mr Coombs, general secretary, addressed those.present on the question. After some discussion, in which uo serious opposition was raised to the proposal, a -resolution expressing confidence m the general secretary and tho executiTo waa passed almost unanimously, as was a motion confirming tho action oi the executive in connexion with the Alliance of Labour, and instructing them to proceed with affiliation. Au amendment to shelve the matter indefinitely was defeated, only four voting in favpuir of it. The following is from the annual report, of the branch:— "Alliance of Labour.—Unable to obtain redress from the Department, and forced to ths conclusion that something more than mere justice of our claims was necessary to obtain their recogni-' tion by the Government, the executive was compelled to seek other means of strengthening our position. ' Members s,re therefore being asked to decide by ballot whether they are prepared to linkup their forces with the Alliance of Labour. This matter dcea not properiv enter into the review of last year s work, your committee only asks that whatever the re'iult of the ballot, members (.halt remember that absolute soHdaiitv of membership is more essential at this time than ever before."