THE POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 996, 3 April 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION.

© «- A deputation of delegates from the Post and Telegraph Officers Association consisting of Messrs Young (Dunedin), Oxley (Dunedin), Andrews (Christchurch), and Beswick (Wellington) waited upon the Post-master-General (Hon J. G. Ward) on Wednesday afternoon. Mr Young explained that the object of the deputation was to ask that the Association should receive official recognition, which had been previously refused on the ground that the rules of the Society did not conform to the Civil Service regulations. He pointed out that the Society had endeavoured to conform to the rules to the fullest extent, and he assured Mr Ward that the rules did not in any way provide for any aggressive action. It was the desire to assist the department in every way, and the Society would abide by the decision of the head of the department in every possible way. Mr Ward, in reply, said that the Society, as one formed for the purpose of assisting its members in improving their positions, had the sympathy and support of Ministers, but when it was asked that the Society should be officially recognised it was going too far, and the Government must decline the request. The Governments of Victoria and New South Wales had given a similar reply to such a request. Every officer who had a grievance could bring the matter before the Minister, but if the Society was recognised it would place that body over the Minister. Mr Young said is was 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 their Committee through the head of the Department to the Minister. The Postmaster-General said that every officer wonld be given full opportunity of getting grievancas redressed. The Ministers considered the Association a very proper body, and had no desire to stifle it. Of course if it usurped the functions of the administrative head there would be a clashing of interests, and as there could not possibly be two heads controlling the department he was unable to recognise the Association officially. Any recommendation made by any officer for the redress of grievances would be received with fitting respect. Of course, if the Society were not recognisd officially its communications could not be replied to, but he was desirous to give every officer an opportunity of redress, and a letter sent by any officer would be properly considered by the Cabinet. So long as the Association was for the benefit of the officers as a whole, and did not run counter to public interests, the Government would have no objection to it, and anything they could do to ameliorate the status of officers, or the system, and redressing of grievances, properly represented, the Government was anxious to do. In farther reply to Mr Yonng, the Hon J. Ward said he could not receive letters from the Executive, pointing ont anomalies in the existing classification, as the latter was settled by Aots, and was therefore outside the power of the Government. The Act provided a certain course for redress, and if the Act did not work satisfactorily the question of amendment would arise. In the meantime the existing provisions mast be complied with. If he was assured that officers had withheld their appeals against the present classification nntil after the time they were receivable and in the hope that the Association would be officially recognised, he was willing to extend the time for lodging appeals, providing Government had the power to do so. In reply to Mr Beswick, the Postmaster. General said he thought the officers were not wrong in combining, and as long as their rules did not effect discipline they were quite within their right, and the Government approved of their improving their condition within the limits of the legulations. The Government could not agree to the rale allowing the admission of outsiders as members. With regard to the feeliug existing among officers that many of them had not been placed as high in the classification as they considered they oaght to be, the men could approach the Government as staffs on the matter. The deputation pointed out that classification of merit had been made subordinate to length of service, and that there ought to be some fixed period beyond which an officer could not be kept in a particular class. Under the present system a man might be blocked for 20 or 25 years before he could be advanced to the next grade. As to the question of the younger officers of the Department being blocked, the Post-master-General promised to carefully consider the points raised, and the interview came to an end.