ON NEW LINES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11830, 11 January 1933, Page 2

ON NEW LINES

BRITISH POST OFFICE.

CHANGE IN POLICY,

ADVISORY COUNCIL TO AID MINISTER.

(U.P.A. by Eloc. Tel. Copyright.) (Received Jan. 10, 7 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 10,

The Postmaster-General, as the outcome of a report, has appointed an advisory council to act in a consultative capacity on the general policy of linking tho Post Office with the public. The Committee consists of nineteen representatives of commerce, industry, trade unions, co-operative societies and farmers, including; a member of the House of Commons, Major Astor, Sir Charles Barrie, Sir Maurice Jenks, and also Miss Megan. Lloyd George, Miss Ishbel MacDonald and the HOll, Dorothy Pickford, who are the first women, to be appointed to such posts. The Postmaster’s action is the result of tile report of a committee consisting of Lord Bridgeman, Lord Plender, and Sir John Cadman, which was appointed at the request of 320 members of the House of Commons to inquire whether changes of tho constitution, status, and organisation of the Post Office would be in the public interest, This committee reported that a change to the. status of a public utility company or a statutory authority would be undesirable. Parliamentary control was essential in a business of such a national character, but over-centralisa-tion, which at present was a defect, c ould be overcome by the establishment oi a. board- representative el various functions, of which the Postmaster-General should be chairman, which would decide the PostOffice policy, enabling mow freedom in the matter of detail and giving more authority to provincial officials. The other most serious defect, stated the committee, is flic Treasury taxing all profits and removing the natural, incentive io progress and economy. The committee suggests that the Chancellor every three years should fix a sum which the revenue should' absorb, enabling any savings to be available for improvements in ;he service.