“P. AND T. POLITICS”

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 266, 5 August 1932, Page 12

“P. AND T. POLITICS”

Association and Minister DEFINITIONS WANTED “The Minister has remained adamant to the requests for either a written amplification of the term ‘political activities’ or for the granting of a personal interview to discuss the matter,” stated Mr. J. H. McKenzie, secretary of the P. and T. Employees’ Association, in replying yesterday to the Hon. A. Hamilton’s charge that there were inaccuracies in the report published on Wednesday morning regarding the association’s recent negotiations to regain official recognition. Sir. McKenzie said the Postmaster-General’s charge of inaccuracy was astonishing, in view of the relevant correspondence on the proceedings. It was not correct to say that the president of the P. and T. Employees’ Association had given his personal undertaking “that no political activities would be permitted in the future,” or to assert that on such an undertaking the executive of the association was permitted to meet in Wellington last Tuesday. Mr. McKenzie added that in the course of correspondence the Minister had stated these terms as a condition to the executive meeting ,and as the association was constitutionally a nonpolitical body, it had been easy for its president to give reasonable assurances to refrain from political activities, particularly of a party nature. The president’had requested, however, that the wider question of what might be meant by “political activities in general” should be discussed between the Minister and the executive of the association. It was stated by Mr. McKenzie that when the meeting of the executive took place, the president’s action had been endorsed, and it was agreed that all phases of political activity would be avoided, with the one exception of retaining the right to make representations to members of Parliament or the public concerning legislative measures detrimentally affecting conditions or pay in the service. “Without splitting words, it was the association’s refusal to forgo this right that caused the Minister to deny'its representatives an audience,” said Mr. McKenzie, “and if our belief to that effect is inaccurate, then it is open to the Minister to say frankly what .his definition of “political action’ really is, after allowing for those phases which we have already declared ourselves as desirous of avoiding.” 1 .