WARTIME PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 139, 8 March 1941, Page 7

WARTIME PROBLEMS

Post Office Conference

STAFFING DIFFICULTIES

Recently a conference of the senior officers of the Post Office was held in Wellington. The delegates comprised all the chief postmasters and inspectors, all the more senior engineers in charge of districts, and a number of representatives of bead office, the whole assembly numbering about 60. The delegates beard addresses by the Prime Minister and the PostmasterGeneral.

The purpose of the conference was to consider the effects of several changes in departmental procedure which have recently been instituted and others which it is proposed to initiate in the near future, as well us the measures taken by the department Io meet wiir conditions. ’l'lie department is faced with the problem of so re-arranging its staff us to permit of the release of a large number of men for war purposes and at the same time keep their positions open for them after the war. At present the number of post office employees serving overseas and in Territorial camps is nearly 2000. Many more will be released as the war goes on. The Post Office is the principal recruiting ground for signallers and radio operators for the forces, and it is necessary for the department to train large numbers of men in'tills work, not only for the armed forces but also to keep its own essential services going. Girls are being employed extensively, and this involves internal rearrangements, raising special problems of recruitment, remuneration, training and working conditions, all of which were fully considered at conference.

The conference paid special attention to training, a matter of importance iu peacetime bjit doubly so in wartime when many active and well-trained men are absent, with the Armed Forces. -The department proposes embarking oil a comprehensive scheme of intensive training for its junior officers, the outlines of which received the approval of conference.