POSTAL OFFICIALS' CRIEVANCES.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13382, 3 April 1912, Page 6

POSTAL OFFICIALS' CRIEVANCES.

ALLEGED COMPULSORY RETIREMENT.

(Special to "The Colonist.")

ChristchurcH; April 2'Considerable .surprise, mingled with regret, was expressed in Invercargill wfon it. rbecame inoim that Mr. .j. L. Bush, officer in charge of telegraphs at Invercargill, was retiring on' superannuation. Mr. Bush has been in the s?rviee of the Government since 1867, and has been in Invercargill for 41 years in charge of the telegraph and telephone departments.

| A reporter, who saw Mr Bush on Saturday, learnt that no one was more surprised than that gentleman himself at his retirement, as he had heard de;finitely only on Friday that ho was ,to leave. Officers in. the Government's employ reach tho retiring age under the Civil Service Superannuation Act at 6o years, but Mr. Bush has still fottr years to run before reaching that age. The Government, for some reason unknown, seems to have taken upon its shoulders tho compulsory retirement of several of its servants before they reach the full age, and two recent cases are those of Mr. Bush and Mr. St. George Doug,las. Chief Postmaster at Dunedin, wiio also retired at'tho age of 61 years on Saturday. No reasons are forthcoming for the Government's ' action, and -as both the officers have been popular,and capable- mcii, tho thing seems incomprehensible, especially whan it is taken into consideration,'that the' affairs in Wollington are by no means in a stable state. '..'■;.