POSTAL SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 41, 17 August 1923, Page 4

POSTAL SERVICE

BRIGHT PROSPECTS OPEN

UNDER NEW ADxMINISTRATION

OFFICERS MEET FOE SOCIAL

EVENING.

The conference of the Post and Telegraph Officers' Association, which has been taking place in Wellington during the present week, wound up with a smoke concert, held in the Assembly Hall of the Dominion Farmers' Institute last night. Mr. T. F. Falconer, chairman of the committee, presided over, a large gathering. Among the guests were Mr. A. T. Markman (Secretary of the Post Office) and Mr. H. E. Holland, M.P. Apologies were read from the Prime Minister (Mr. Massey), the Hon. T. M. Wilford, Leader of the Opposition, Hon. J. G. Coates, Postmaster-General, and several others.

After the toast of. "The King" had been honoured, Mr. C. Camp proposed the health of "The Delegates" and "The Association," recalling the early difficulties of the association when the membership was only 2000, as compared with over 7000 in 1921. Since then retrenchment had reduced the membership. In 1923 this year the association had gone into quarters free of debt. (Hear, hear.) This was a wonderful achievement since 1913, when the executive had to guarantee the cost of the printing of "The Katipo." The speaker advocated the co-operation of the different associations of officers in the various branches of the Public Service. BETTER PEOSPECTS. In response, Mr. J. H. M'Kenzie, president of the P. and T. Association, said that the past few years had been years of difficulty and stress under an organised attempt to crush unionism among workers. The proposal in selfdefence to join the Alliance of Labour had resulted in attacks from within and a secession of members. That was all over now, and those members were now being re-emolled. The prospects were better for the future. The new head of the Service had set the example by saying that they should work with him and not for him for the Service. He hoped that the time was near at hand when the association would be fully recognised by the administration and consulted before important steps affecting the Service were taken. The association should be a non-political organisation and not take political action. In the past the influence against them had been political, and they had been compelled to take similar action. He hoped there would be no necessity to repeat that in the future. (Applause.) Mr. H. Combs, who was coupled with Mr. M'Kenzie in the response to the toast, said in regard to reclassification i the association hoped to place before the conference proposals which they de- | sired; to see adopted. They claimed that the salaries should be restored to ! i 56 per cent., according to the cost-of-liv-ing figures, above the figures for 1914. ! This would be equivalent to the return of first and second salary "cuts." The association wanted to have a say in all matters of prime importance'to the Service. It was a happy augury that the Administration had declared a moratorium to cover the influenza sick-leave. The closer the Administration came to the rank and file who had to work out the details the better for the Service. The hopes of the association were high under the new administration. No man had takeu over the Department with vgreater confidence from the Service tnau the new Secretary. If these hopes were realised, the association might be relievi ed of many matters and be able to devote itself to objects less controversial. (Applause.) I. A NEW ERA HOPED FOE. .Mr..E. H. Brown, vice-president of the association, in the absence of Mr. M:. J. Mack, proposed the toast of "Tho Department." They all hoped that with the new appointment of Secretary the Service was going to.enter on a new era. This would make for a far better feeling in the Service. The rank aud J file would like to have a word in an | advisory capacity in the running of the service. (Applause.) Mr.. A. T. Markman, the Secretary of the Post Office, in a long and serious [ address, reported elsewhere, dealt with! the various problems of. the Postal Ser-! vice, and exhorted officers; especially in their younger years, to, qualify ' for the higher positions. There had, he regretted to say, been a decline since about, fifteen ■ or twenty years ago in the pro-i portion in the various branches offer- I ing for qualifying examinations. Ihci-' dentally, Mr Markman criticised the change of attitude in "The Katipo," the official organ of the association. It.did not make for better feeling in the Ser- ; vice to make mountains out of molehills. The criticism -was anything but constructive. It would be difficult to carry out the suggested changes for the better unless the spirit of co-operation and fairness prevailed.' He hoped that this would be so. (Applause.) ' ' 1 Mr. F. W. Penlington proposed briefly I the toast of "Parliament."

Mr. Holland, who was received with loud applause, in reply, described the attitude of the Labour Party in the House on the question of reduction of taxation and the reduction of salaries of postal officers. . There should be no reduction, of income tax until the salaries of postal officers were brought back to the 1914 level. There was a big fight going on in the House that night after tho close struggle on the P. and T. question when the Government had got through by only one vote—the closest go yet—too. close to be pleasant. If the postal officers had any complaint with legislation, they must look to the people who made the legislation. They always got what they voted for. (Laughter.) The speaker concluded with a description of the P. and T. Service as a great association for social service. He looked forward to the representation of tho rank and file of the officers of the Service on administrative boards for the running of the Service! (Applause.) The worker should be represented in the economic operation of the country as well as the political operation. (Applause.) The toast of "Kindred Bodies" was proposed by Mr. R. K. Couper and "The Press" by Mr. J.- B. Brown.

In the course of the evening, opportunity was taken by Mr. 0. F. Collins, on behalf of the association, to present the retiring president, Mr. J. H. M'Kenzie, with a gold watch and purse of sovereigns to mark the appreciation by tho association of his services as president during the past four years. During the evening an excellent musical and recitative programme was provided by members.