N. Z. News.

Inangahua Times, 10 December 1929, Page 2

N. Z. News.

(Per United Press Assn.) • ~~'P. and T. Association —3 Removal of Political Control .-. . Auckland, This day* Addressing a largely attended meeting of tbe Post and Telegraph employees last night, Ur J. H.’ McKenzie, General Secretary of tbs P. and T. Employees’ Association, said it was proposed to ask the Government to place the service under a system of arbitration in order to remove it from the present political control. In bis opinion the service would never get far under political and partisan control. Questioned as tbe Associstion’s compulsory retirement after forty years’ service, Mr McKenzie was most emphatic on that point. He said he had already protested to the Postmaster General and the Secretary of the Department in regard to a recent esse of an officer over forty years’ service being retained. So far, no satisfactory reason for bis retention had been presented. The case was causing fnoeh concern amongst the senior officers. Retired officers ware also wanting to know why they had been forced out of tbe service. The reversion to the policy of recent years was unanimously endorsed bv the meeting. Mr McKenzie said the Association’s efforts were being directed to obtain improved salary conditions for the lower paid officials. It was strenuously fighting for a minimum wage of approximately £4 per week upon attaining the age of 21 years. The instituting of a special class for certain quahfied officers was undoubtedly a sop to slieoate the support of the Association's demands for a general reclassification. Aeroplane Accident ■ Two Children Injured "I e Aroha This day While taxiing down the field preparatoty to taking two children tor a flight from the property of P. Good fellow, at Waihou, yesterday afternoon, the Pilot of a Blackburn Bluebird machine had the misfortune to strike the boundary fence The plane toppled over the fence resting on the right wing, crumpling it and smashing the propeller blades. The two passengers were injured. John aged 17 has a deep cut on the right knee and was r . moved to Waikato Hospital; Kathleen Wayman, aged six, received head and lace injuries.