THE POSTAL DEPARTMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13845, 3 September 1908, Page 5

THE POSTAL DEPARTMENT

GRAVE ALLEGATIONS.

- " SYSTEM OF TERRORISM."/

At last night's mooting of the Auckland Trades and Labour Council Mr. ; Peaks' said he desired to bring under notice the necessity of protecting a class of workers who apparently badly needed it. He referred to the post office employee*. Two of their number had been recently arrested and taken to prison in a haphazard way that was most disgraceful in a civilised community. One had been handcuffed to a drunkard. These men were arrested on the accusation of one man, handcuffed, and taken to the cells. Subsequently, when the charge was heard, the judge said there was not enough evidence on which to hang a cat, and they were acquitted without a stain on their character; but the proceedings had, nevertheless, cast a stigma on them that they would bear through life. There ought "to be one or two officials in the Postal Department deputed to inquire into any char™"*- made against employees, and 'see if there was sufficient evidence 10 Warrant | extreme measures before they,were taken. | There were a number of officials in the ■Postal Department who were working under I.a system .f terrorism that should not be I permitted hi any civilised country, and would not be' permitted in" New Zealand if ;it were known. He moved : —"That the Government, he earnestly -.requested to make inquiry into the post office scandal recently before the Supreme Court, and to also make inquiry into the working conditions and Sunday hours of the Postal Department." Mr. J. Macguire, in seconding the motion, expressed the opinion that it was hardly safe for a man to work in the Postal Department at the present time when such things occurred.

Another member said that the fact of one of the ■ young men being handcuffed tc a drunken man should be looked into. The mover of the resolution declared that when the young men were taken to Mount Eden Gaol they were treated , as common! malefactors. A man was supposed to bo innocent till he was proved guilty. The sort of treatment meted out to these young men was what might have been expected in Russia, but not in a country like New Zealand. Mr. Rosser said the worst aspect of the. case was that these young men had been remanded from time to time, and bail refused. * . \ 'ine motion was carried. QUESTION OF COMPENSATION. [BY TELEGRAPH.— special correspondent.] Wellington', Wednesday. The Postmaster-General in formed Mr.Poole to-day that the questior of compensation to the two employees of the Auckland Post Office, who were recently before the Supremo Court, will be considered "when it is raised by the young men concerned," In the meantime they had been allowed to resume duty. Mr. Poole said that the two young men had been treated harshly, and were entitled to compensation of sdnm kind. It was gratifying to hear that they had been allowed to resume duty, but he thought that they should receive ah assurance that they were being reinstated without prejudice. ,<