Strikes and salaries

WANGANUI: The railwaymen are not the only body of Government employees who are dissatisfied with wages and the conditions of employment. Reports indicate that the Post and Telegraph men and women throughout the dominion are in such an unsettled state at present that it would take very little additional pressure to bring about a serious crisis in the Postal and Telegraph services of the dominion. This was strikingly evidenced at a very large meeting of the Wanganui branch of the Postal and Telegraph Association,

which was held last night. Over two hours were occupied in discussing matters of paramount interest to the postal and telegraph staffs. The discussion first of all opened up in connection with the railway strike, and the sympathy of the meeting was offered to the strikers. The discussion which ensued on the strike revealed the fact that not a few of those present would ‘‘go out of bounds’’ instantaneously if the official head did not keep a controlling influence over the more militant members of the association. One of the serious grievances which was discussed was the bonus promised by Sir Joseph Ward (as the National Government Minister of Finance), and, it was asserted, had not yet been honoured by the Massey Government. It was claimed that the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout, had been deputed to investigate the grievance, and he had stated that the bonus was a moral obligation on the part of the Government. A member reminded the

meeting that, though the Chief Justice was reported to have made such a statement, there had been no official notification of his finding.