THE P. AND T. BALLOT

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 76, 31 March 1922, Page 8

THE P. AND T. BALLOT

TO TH« EDIIOI. Sir,—On behalf of that large body of public servants in the Post and Telegraph Department who are prevented by regulations from coming into: the: open to defend their position, I wish to most emphatically protest against the unprin-, cipled attacks, which are being made upon the members arid executive officers of 'the P. and T. Association by the Welfare League, Chambers of Commerce, P.P.A., ' the Postmaster-General, and, finally, by your own editorial article in to-night's issue. The members of the service claim to possess enough intelligence to be able to decide their own affairs without any help from the abovementioned sources. The PostmasterGeneral, as Ministerial head, must accept responsibility for the present unrest in the service, which is the outcome of a series of breaches of faith and agreements on the part of the Government and the administrative officials. Had those in authority been open in their dealings, and played the game with theservice, there would be no ballot proceeding to-day. The stabs in the back which the service has received have compelled it to take action towards strengthening its position. The very outcry which has been raised by the vested financial interests will probably do more to recommend the Alliance 1 of Labour as a strengthening organisation tha.ll all the officials of the alliance coidd ■ possibly do. I would ask if the gentlemen representing the above■organ.isatioti claim to know more about P. and T. working conditions than those on the job? The . Welfare League's official writer has frequently, stated that members, of the P. and T., Association have never seen the constitution of the Alliance of Labour. For his information, let me: state that.the constitution has been expounded at three meetings of the Wellington section, when questions were asked and answered; it was also circulated with the report of the debate which took place at tile late P. and T. Conference, and, finally, it was printed on the back of the ballot paper used for voting. If any member pleads ignorance, I think he is even beyond the efforts of the Welfare League. If the league lequires further information on P. and T. Service matters, 1 would sug- ! gest that it should call on Mr. Combs, whose office is only one hundred yards jaway from the league's headquarters. A lot has been said about juniors voting. The junior. off to-day is the senior of to-morrow, and as such is called on to work under the conditions which are being imposed.- Would the league and the: Postmaster-General disfranchise some members, in contrast with the Secretary j of the Department's circular asking every membei to vote, so that the result might.be absolutely, beyond doubt? I think, Mr. Editor, your action in publishing a leading article and a lot of one-sided propaganda while a ballot on a matter of such vital importance to our ; members is in progress is lacking in good taste and judgment. A member's vote on such a subject should be the result of his own reasoning on the merits of the proposition submitted, and not the result' of reading a lot of newspaper propaganda, the, writers of which will not come out into the open' to be catechised on the merits of their literary productions.—l am, etc., .".LOYALIST. 29th March. [The ballot proposals referred to by our correspondent is a fair subject for public comment, and the columns of The Post have been open to either side.—Ed.] TO THB I»IT*R. Sir, —As an old officer of the Post and Telegraph Department, I regret to find that the members of the P. and T. Association are favouring the idea of join- [ ing the Alliance of Labour. I hope, be- ' fore a final decision is arrived at, that better counsels will prevail and the idea abandoned. It would be a lamentable mistake if the "hot heads" of the association should have their own way in this matter. I am sure the movement will be regretted by all the older members of the Department, past and present. I quite agree with the sentiments expressed 'by the Welfare League in its ■ recent admirable article on the above subject.—l am, etc., : RETIRED P. AND T. OFFICER. 30th Maroh.