POST & TELEGRAPHS

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 136, 5 December 1918, Page 5

POST & TELEGRAPHS

NEW BILL AND ALTERED j CONTROL DEBATE IN THE HOUSE. Now principles in the Pbst and Telegraph Department Bill—including the practical elimination of Commission control of apdintments—make the proposals exceptionally interesting. v Moving the second reading of the Bill in the House of Representatives yesterday, Sir Joseph Ward said that the men in the lower grades of tho Post and Telegraph Department had lower salaries than those in other departments except one. A feeling of injustice had been rankling in the breasts of these lowerpaid men for a considerable time. They deserved recognition for their faithful, reliable . service to the public. It was necessary in such a great department to have a contented service. He had shown the Bill to )he Public Service Commissioner, who had approved it. In the proposed changes, there was no reflection on the personnel of the Public Service Commitsonors. It was necessary; to check transfers from the Post and Telegraph Department, because the staff was becoming depleted. It was not reasonable to have such an important special? ised department in the position of losing officers because other departments offered an increase of salary. The provision, of the Appeal Board removed the Ministerial power of veto. "Promotion by merit" was an important principle recognised in the Bill. The Bill would provide for a fixed salary for a position. Under the present law an officer, receiving £260 a year, might fill a position for which a predecessor received £300 or more,- but the successor might have to wait several years before he received that amount. The Bill would greatly reduce the period in which a man might make advancement in salary, by merit. The readjustment period might take four or five months. The new scales of salary would operate from ,Ist April next. The representatives of the Post and Telegraph Association had expressed approval of . the provisions of tho Bill. A penalty clause had been put in to prevent interference in respect to promotions or appeals. The penalty would apply to any offender, in or out of the department. There was an imperative necessity for-a change in the Post and Telegraph Deparment. The Government and himself recognised' that. fact. At present it was a discontented, xlisaffected service, in regard to positions and salaries. It took some men, under the present, system, 26 or 27 years to arrive at a salary of £260. • : ■ Mr. Ell (Chrischurch South) said the Minister was restoring the Ministerial power of. appointing certain officers. Ho hoped that this power would be ertended to other Departments. Mr.- Harris (Waitemata) suggested that members of Parliament and others should be given the right to bring matters under the notice "of the Minister, the Public Service Commissioner, the Promotion Board or the.Appeal Board, with respect to appointments or appeals. Mr. Luke (Wellington North) said it was important to ensure justice, in any scheme, to members of the Department who were members of the Expeditionary Force overseas. He praised the general principles of the Bill.. Mr. Veitch (Wanganui) suggested that , the principle of allowing members of the | Department to elect a representative on the Promotion Board should be extended \to other Departments., •: ■ „ MINISTER'S REPLY. In reply, Sir Joseph Ward said that after, a- board had gone into the whole matter of classification, the executive of the Post and Telegraph Association would have an opportunity to review thfl scheme.; The positions.of men who had gone to the front would be kept for them. They would be properly provided for, and would be in a better position than they would have been under the existing law. The detailed work of the Service would be carried on in much the same way as now. The employees would have more confidence in the new system of administration. In regard to the posi-" tions known as temporary or casual appointments, returned soldiers would have a preference. . IN COMMITTEE. In Committee, on the motion of the Minister, the: Chief Telegraph Engineer was added to ihe..officers to be appointed by the Governor-General, ' Mr. Lee (Oamaru) said that the functions of the Appeal Board should be widened to the basis of the Railway Department's system, so that employees could appeal against fines.; There was no provision for ■ appeal against dismissal by a superior officer. Sir Joseph Ward said he was advised by the Solicitor-General that there was such provision under. the regulations. - The Bill was passed.