POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICERS. ASSOCIATION.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13775, 16 July 1913, Page 1 (Supplement)

POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICERS. ASSOCIATION.

NELSON BRANCH'S REUNION.

(From. '-'The' Colonist," July 14.) t ' Tho local branch, of tho Post and

lelegraph Oitieors' Association JWd a reunion'in tho Masonic'- 'a all on oaturday evening, Mr. C. H.-'Eggkton pro* sided over a- very largo attendance. The proceedings opened v/itJi the honouring of the loyal foa,\;t_. these boing followed by other toasts, interspersed with items. . Mr A. E. McGregor proposed tko toast, to the Post and Telegraph Department. Ho said that it was on© of tho most important in tho State, and touched everybody from tho beginning of life till'the. end. It was constantly, in touch with the piiblic, and although sometimes friction took place, it was not always so. They .should do their best, while remembering that they were m a Department of State, to do their work for the public, and try and avoid as-much as possible tho few mistakes tnat did arise. Ho coupled the toast with tho name of Mr Ward. (Applause.) Mr W. T. Ward, in responding to the toast of the Department, said thaii Mr -Morris, Secretary in yin» Department, who should have replied \vith. him, had been detained in Wellington . on account of tho smallpox scare. Tho speaker said he was pk-ased to be invited to bo. present, biu ue would havo come in any caso because lie- was a member of tho, association himself. (Applause.) Ho did not boo why, if children were instructed in their* lesson books to do things which they did not require till late in life, they could not be instructed in siioh things as they required to know in regard ' to postal matters. As soon as children could toddle they were despatched to post letters. He was the oldest member of the Department present, he having joined in IS7O, when there were only 195 members, whereas to-day there were over 7000. There were only a few in tho service now who were in it when he joined. The figures ho had quoted showed tho great strides made in tho Post and Telegraph Department sinco he joined. In ihe old days the linemen wero in greater preponderance than any other officers of the Department. He had seen many ups and downs in the service, and in 1872, when there, was no association to look after their interests, the employees had to wait for two months for their wages. This was reformed soon after, however. He had experienced two ten per cent reductions, ■ and oarlier in his life,promotion came slowly. For eight years his salary was £180 a year, and then he got a£s rise. Since the association came into being tho officers had been benefited Very much. Mr 0. Treweek proposed the toast of "Parliament." It was there that tho Civil Service looked for all its pecuniary successes. They were in a better position now that the association had been formed, it having assisted tho Postmaster-General in bringing about; a better. sta to of affairs. Thie, liowovor, could not have been done without tho ;i ssistan.ee of Parliament. In Mr Rhodes he hoped that the association would luvve'oiio who would look to the- officials' affairs. The 'association w;:s not ,a political body, but they urns! Hi an k" tho late Government for much of what they enjoyed to-day. They had always had a brotherly feeling "for Sir Jo.seph Ward, and had a similar feeling for his brother. (Ap- ~ plause.) Kvon in the speaker's time he had experienced .something of what Mr Ward -had spoken. The 'present Government they looked to with a certain n mount oiliop^ that it would advance tho association's members, and bettor tlio service.. T,he '-examinations that }>ad: l>e.c(3i;jlji^j£lv.y.te.d ■ would do much to _' better tho sevvide. .••" . ■

Mr T.I. A'irnore, M.F.;.'in reply, said he was very pleased to bo present. Or.c could not be in Parliament long without liudii!'!; from the returns the-greac ■ busiiJi'Srt rloix^ by the Department. So fur as Parliament was concerned, it was » fine party of men, and none carried fooling for another man-outsido tho House." There were perhaps a few weak 'men in Parliament, as in most bodies,'but it required a strong man to light his way into Parliament. To show that good feeling followed the. fiyiti^ of sparks, ho could say that they Jiad. a. vejjy sireiilious .time during the past woek, but he, with the member for Hullor, and the Minister of Marino (who had been the inpst con«jorned) had '.u'-t and had a social two hours in.Bellamys on Thursday night. Parliament would have to grapple with many questions this season, chief" Hinongat which would 'be defence' and land HOttleinetii.. There were plenty of other questions, but time would have, to ~btt found for the settlement of grievances regarding the Departments. There were Departments Avhich deserved redress sooner than the Postal Department, lie believed that Mr Rhodes was really eager xo make his term ot ofiiee- a success. JJc thought, regarding <>:.':-!inin;4t.;o!i.v. t]iat while they might be jjood in some subjects, they Ki'imild not he psirsued to tho ostsnt iTiat tho nuMuher^' work in relation to the Depart.ttt('!i( should suffer. Thero was no reason wiiy the Post Offico Bhouin have an association, and another Department, be. refused it. Mr 0. Purdue proposed tho toast of "Tho ANr-orin.lioi!.'1 it had done mucht)Si>i'ul wni-U in Ih■■• pa«t, botlxfroma deparinicnta! and members' point of view. lie urge.fi all those who were riot members of the association' to join

:it once

In replying to the toast Mr Eggloton «aid the" public hardly realised the naormons stride- in office work that had been made during i:he past few' years. In IUHI seventy-two million I post;!! packet* were handled, and in 19P2- over U ire's-, hundred and twenty, millions woie delivered, showing an increase of over IW2 per cent. All thia ■ has meant ;i lar^e increase of employees. 'I|h«'ir urbanisation at present stood uL .■{"»()[} members, which Avas 85 ; prr emit of th..- service. During the [past, year their effort; were attended I with nuu-h snowss. They secured two ! representatives on the Appeal Board y I thrir officers v;rrr> tn be classified in _a i separate list; amt vacancies were to be filled from officers til' their own Department. They «■*>.!■<■ successful in safeguarding the allowances of married ofi Heers <lvn.\vipt!r svn;.!! salaries. The finality of A»m.'iil Htj.-"d decisions was also a oTPat boon to the service. The rules i oi' the ass<Ki;:tiutt were r.ot inconsistent with the Jepartrseiital regulations, and had for years been patronised.by-tho PostmastVi-CctKH-:.!. At present the [Department wits granting a £10 bonuw l"for outside cxa.minahons, instead ol rop«vni«in«: the.' 'efficiency tests. This ndVcti-d the s'-vciitlv class ofncers. kuinhoss of th«^:.-: officers had passed tho dfpnrtniontal .examination, and \voro not drawing i\w paltry £10 bonns. Other toasts Jiom.nTnd wero,- M-di-fd A*<i?nc-iation.>." proposed by Mr Ai. Lovy.antl f.^potuled tn hy Mr Airey_; "The "Press I; |iroj>o.<ed hy Mr E. W. Iluduinn: "Tlie Ladies," proposed by -Mr J. ■(•Joodmt'.H: rt.sponded to by Mr Bwinff' <ho xv.vninor the following f<Vntribui<Kl to <=!•<-• proßrammo: Sorips, =\r r f M ■ Wlk-?:!>i : sontt, Mr H. Thomav viola, milok. Mr W. T.. Ward; r-v-it-:.tir!t), Mr.. K. W. Rudman; song, Mr Hold worth : monologue and sone, Mr' X -T \Ue.n: recitations. Mr J. Gondm:iVi; and>ou<x. Mr G. Purdno. _ \ very plcasiuii fVßning was'broapJir. W n"rimi\ by the singing of "Anld l.ang':Syne." '. .', .*■ '.' ■ : ' y