POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8530, 2 April 1891, Page 6

POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICERS.

INTERVIEW WITH THE POST-MASTER-GENERAL. [BY TELEGRAPH. —I'RESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Wednesday. Messes. Young (l)unedin), Oxley (Dunedin), .and Beswick (Wellington), officers of the Post and Telegraph Officers' Society, waited upon the Hon. J. G. Ward, Post-master-General, at the General Post Office this afternoon.

Mr. Young, who acted as spokesman, asked the Postmaster-general to grant official recognition of the Society. On behalf of the Executive ho could give assurance that their .rules did nob provide for any attempt at aggressive action, nor was such action contemplated. They wished to assist the Department in every way, and could assure the Minister that he would never bo troubled with any frivolous complaints. Every grievance would have to be inquired into and filtered through the local branch of the executive, which would bring it before the heads of the Department. The Ministerial ruling would be bowed to in every possible way. The Postmaster-General said he was glad to meet the deputation, as it gave him an opportunity of explaining how the present Government viewed their Association. As an Association to assist its members in improving their positions it had the support and sympathy of Ministers, but when it was asked that the society and its rules should be officially recognised they felt bound to decline the request. Tho Victorian and New South Wales Governments had found themselves obliged to give a similar reply to such request. The Society must "clearly understand that they must form their own regulations. The position was this ; every ordinary representation from officers with a grievance came before the Ministerial head, who was supposed to consider the matter impartially, and reply accordingly. If the society were officially recognised such grievances would come to the Minister through the Executive of the Society instead of through the official head of the Department. - Mr. Young said tho Minister had misunderstood him. It was desired that ordinary applications should come to the Minister through the ordinary channel. Only where there was a grievance which there seemed no chance of getting remedied would any appeal be made to the local society, and by them through the Executive to the Minister.

The Postmaster-General said that every officer should have a full opportunity of obtaining redress for a grievance. There was no desire to stifle the Association, because Ministers considered it a very proper body, but if it usurped the functions of the administrative head the two interests would clash. There could not possibly be two heads controlling the department, so he could not recognise them officially. Mr. Young asked whether the authorities would receive suggestions from the executive as to the mode of amending anomalies in the classification scheme.

The Postmaster-General said he could not as the classification was settled by Act, and was thus beyond the power of the Government. The Act provided a certain course for obtaining redress. In answer to Mr. Young, the PostmasterGeneral said that if he were assured that the officers had withheld their appeals against the present classification until after the time they were receivable, in the hope that the Association would bo recognised, he would extend the time for lodging appeals, provided the Government had power. Replying to a question put by another member of the deputation the hon. gentleman said he thought the officers were certainly not wrong in combining. He pointed out one rule (allowing admission of outsiders to membership) to which the Government could nob on any account agree. Mr. Young said a motion had been tabled at to-day's meeting to strike' out; this rule. There were also others to which the Department might object, and which would be struck out. Some conversation took place as to the manner in which the officers had been classified, and the Minister promised to carefully consider the points raised.