POSTMASTERS' GRIEVANCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 14 June 1909, Page 11

POSTMASTERS' GRIEVANCE.

'.' OFFICIAL EXPLANATION. In regard to tho grievance of certain country postmasters, trom whom house rent is-now being demanded for quarters which they formerly occupied free, Mr. W. R. Morria, Acting-Secretary to : the Post Office, states that the ohargo, which is being made, will remove anomaliesj and the officers of the Department on a more equitable footing all round. Some of the country postmasters have had free accommodation, and a largo number had not, but their salaries have not been varied on this account, while none of ,the postal officers in the cities have free accommodation, or any equivalent allowance, though many of them are of the same grade and entitled to the same salaries as their ■colleagues in charge of rural offices. Mr. Morris further states that the position of the officers was very much improved, by tho Classification Act" of 1907, which came into force on April 1, - 1908, and-in most cases the,'gain to-the country postmasters under that Act more than counterbalanced what they lose by being caused to pay rent. Ho quoted an ■instance in this province, where one man's.vwlary was raised from £180 to £220/ on increment of £40, while the rent he is now charged is only £20. The accommodation offered by the Department, added Mr. Morris, is very up-to-date, and the rentals h«ve been fixed at moderate figures. No complaints had reached him officially, and he thought most ofthose affected recog. nised that the new arrangement was a fail thing. It only applied io permanent officers.