THE CHRISTCHURCH POSTAL OFFICIALS

North Otago Times, 24 October 1905, Page 2

THE CHRISTCHURCH POSTAL OFFICIALS

id By Telegraph, is Wellington, Oct. 23. ■'e The report of the inquiry ro the lc thargvs against tho L'hristctorch I'ost ' e Ofllco officials Was laid on the tabic this morning in the House. Tho Commission- '■ era lind that IVillis, Larctmbe and West committed a grave breach of regulation ■' No. 44. of the Post and Tclograph rcgule ations, which privities that no officer 0 may make public any official communicatioji wl]ich jio may receiv|!. With regard '• to the fidelity declaration made by Wiflls ? when he entered Ihe service, the Conftuise sioners arc inclined to tiiic oi'mion thati 1 a bnoach thereof has not been establishs cd. Tlio owdenco disclosed that Willis " was throughout the prime mover in thg matters complained of. anil the Commissioners venture to express the opinion that Willis' offences aro much more serious than those if tho other officers. Tho - Commissioners consider that Larcombe, t in giving information to his wife as to I the alleged Soddon voucher, octcd unwitt ting'.y, and without tho intention that - it should ho mado public, and that in ■ other respects ho was (influenced by Willis, Similar comments aro made in respect tq the charges against West. Tho Commissioners do not think tlwt Lun* don's conduct amounted to n breach of ■ tho regulations of fidelity declaration. ■ The Commissioners suggest '■ : (1) That tho forms of fidelity dcclara- ' tion mw in use in tne Tost and Tele. I graph Department reipiiro amendment. • They may have been considered sufficient in former limes, when tho duties of an employee In tho Tost Ofllco related only to letters, postal packets and f.elografll9, etc; but with the increase in the wumber of duties discharged by Post Office officials In recent years Hie (jcclarations npw In use. are not, In cur opinion, com* 1 prehensivc enough. It Is in our opinion all important that every possible precaution should bo taken by the Government to Insure tho utmost secrecy in tho post find telegraph offices in the colony, and that officers in those departments who wrongfully dWulgo any knowledge or Info: mat ion which they gain or become possessed of officially should lio severely punished. (2)' That' a fidelity declaration ho m a d o by every public servant when 'ho enters tho service at any future date when ca'led upon to mpko *tho sawo, (3) From the ovidence boforo us we are Inclined to the belief that the general regulations of the civil service aro not known to the .post officials. This should not he. It is highly desirable that every one in the public service of tho colony should be familiar with tho general regulations of such service, (4) From the cvidenco given before us we are convinced that some officers ol the public service are of opinion that' all . members of Parliament aro entitled to. obtain from the officers of any Government department information which would nit he given to ordinary lndlvldu- . als. This impression should, in our opinion, be- at once removed, and rogulatl( ns mado setting forth how, from whom and under what conditions members ol Pari ament des ring to procure information from departments of the State may . obtain the same.