P. AND T. DEPARTMENT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16377, 27 June 1927, Page 10

P. AND T. DEPARTMENT

WAGES AND 111'sin ess methods dii'LM.USEI) (For Press Association.) FA EM EH STUN,' Just night. Thp wages of the I*. and T. employees and the business methods of the Post and Telegraph Department, were criticised by Mr. 11. 11. Brown, the employees' organiser, when responding to. a toast at a re-union of the Manawatu section of the P. and 1. Employees’ Association on Saturday night. , Mr. Brown quoted figures to show that since 1914 the average increase of the P. and T. employees' salaries had been d 0.3 per cent, while the wages of employees outside the service, which were fixed by the Arbitration Court, had increased on an average 56.5. per cent. There could not be a shadow of a. doubt, added ■ Air. Brown, that, it the Goyerftimmt could provide a tribunal to assess the wages of certain works it should he their duty to pay the men m their employ wages equivalent to those granted by the Arbritatkm Court.

The speaker contended that penny postage meant a loss to the country of £125,1)00 annually and that there was also a serious loss ol revenue in press telegrams. Sir James Parr, when Postmaster-General, had indicated that, as soon as the Department showed a profit, it would be the time to approach the Government tor increases. Yet, under the present policy of the Department, there never would he such a lime.

Earlier in the evening, Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P., talking on the wages question, suggested the setting up of a hoard to overhaul the whole position of the State and the wages of its employees. Air. Brown agreed that the suggestion was a good one and thought.' the employees should’ ask' for the hoard. 'Hie speaker also spoke on the subject of promotion, wlmth. he 'claimed, under the present system was unduly retarded, thus stifling the ambitions of employees.