Post and Telegraph Department.

Southland Times, Issue 19498, 30 December 1904, Page 4

Post and Telegraph Department.

STRONG CENSURE. The Lyttelton Timed, in the course Df ai leaderette, makes a forcible, complaint about th© efficiency of the Post and Telegraph Itepartoeut» and; those who have much dealing with the Department/ will agree very .largely with the .remarks made. The journal states that at one time the P . and T. Department was . the model „ branch of the .Civil Service, but Jl the experience .of Christchurch for - some considerable time past may be j taken as a igeneral indication of tho j present condition of the 1 DepartMent; .there has been a very marked decline in its efficiency. Those high in authority say that -it is only^ in Christchurch* that there is any trouble with regard to the administration of the 1 Department, but we (Lyttelton Times) are not' alone in , making this unqualifiedprotest. "Almost daily the same story is to be heard from .- 'someone who has, been subjected to scant courtesy from the telegraph staff, whose letters haye gone astiay, or whose telegrams have been muti-. lated in transmission." Making every allowance for the harrassing work at the Telephone r Exchange, -md ior the . impatience and : occasional iruscibility of some: of .iho- subscribers, it is certain that the i ; attendants. .are ; con- ,'/ stantly guilty of unpardro nable ; inut- '-- tention and of irritation which • voice in a flippancy which is at timers - ."perilously near to impertinence, x As •>■■*- ■-■*■. ■ ■ .• ' -j" : " ~ ; -

to the Postal Department, its sins of omission arc as frequent as its sinß of commission, and both are many, jfjetters, clearly and legibly addressed, return to their senders through the Dead Letter Office, or are unaccountably- delayed in their delivery. -As for the Telegraph Department, the* stupid, mistakes of which it is continually guilty aro evidences of either gross carelessness or gross inability. When complaints are made they are . certainly, treated with the j utmost respect, and officers in charge are eager, to" do everything in their power to make amends. But this is not the point. The 'mistakes should not Occur so frequently in the first instance, and as private complaints have not sufficed to, materially improve tho position there is nothings left but to ventilate the grievance in public. We are ■ inclined to think that this city (Christchurch) is not worse off than many other centres, and if there is hot a speedy . change for the better in the conduct of the Department it may become necessary to press for an enquiry as to whether the system of promotion !.y seniority is the system best calculated to produce the most satisfactory results." - ■ ■ -