POSTAL SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 132, 5 June 1915, Page 9

POSTAL SERVICE

WHAT THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE DONE SPEECH BY MR. D. ROBERTSON. What the Public Service Commissioners have done for the Postal Service was explained by one of the Commissioners (Mr. Donald Robertson) last evening. The occasion was a smoke concert tendered by the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Post and Telegraph Officers' Association to delegates attending the conference which is being held here. Mr. F. Thomas, chairman of the local branch, presided, and a very enjoyable evening was spent in musical items and otherwisp. , la ths course of a very interesting speech Mr. Robertson ptated that the Commissioners had been in office a little oyar two years. In that time the positions had been improved of postmasters, I senior parcels clerks, supervisors, and assistants, telegraph officers, and supervisors of telephone exchanges. Assistant 1 heads of mail staffs had been appointed, thus filling a much-felt want, and clerks lin charge of letter-carriers had been I among the positions created. These ; positions gave chances to men lower I down the ladder. Just prior to his taking office, the association had approached him, and asked for some special consideration for officers on the £220 maximum who bad passed certain examination*. The Postoaster-Gfinpral had readily agreed, and a £10 increase 1 had been given. The Commissioners had gore 'still further in the matter, and the officers now received £245. A I great many officers had come under this 1 benefit, and it had been generally appreI dated. With regard to junior post office messengers and letter-carriers, the Commissioners had made arrangements whereby these officers received double increments in the earlier stages of their appointments. This was more in keeping with the duties they had to perform. Married^ officers also benefited by having the minimum raised from £130 to £145. It was hoped that th's minimum would be fixed in future by Act of Parliament, instead of being arranged from year to year as at present. The Commissioners had also laid down lodging allowances for letter-carriers employed away from home. They had increased by a week the annual leave of officers with between ten and fifteen years' service. A comparison between salaries in New Zealand and elsewhere might be made, but he would limit it to the salaries of letter-carriers. In New Zealand the minimum was £180, plus £10 good conduct pay for long service. A recent award in Australia had laid down £162 as the salary, with • £6 j increase after ten years' service. The ! Commissioners had reduced the working week from forty-eight hours to forty-four hours, for the purpose of paying overtime. Regarding furlough, he said that at present when a man retired he was given three months' leave. He had submitted proposals to the Government whereby after twenty years' service an officer should receive six months' furlough on full pay. If the officer was not able to avail himself of this furlough until he retired, he should then receive six months' leave on full pay, or its equivalent in money.