The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-18 00:00:00

POST-OFFICE REFOR3L

A very numerously attended meeting was held
last night in Exeter Hall with the view of placing
position. of Post-office employes before the
public-in-order that they might-be- cettibloa to ro--

ceive better remuneration for their services, as well
as more certain and speedy means of promotion.
Mr. J. Bennett occupied the chair, and in a brief
speech dwelt upon the vast proportions which the
business of the Post-office had now attained, there
being no less, he said, than a thousand millions of
letters and pamphlets passing throught it annually.
The revenue, too, not only paid all the expenses of
the establishment, but left a profit of something
like a million and a half. Yet, notwithstanding
that such was the case, there existed among the
employes a degree of discontent. and unhappiness
almost amounting to rebellion. In endeavouring to
obtain redress for their grievances they were told
that they were fighting against the laws of political
economy ; but where intelligence and energy were
required in a high degree, it must not be hoped that
those qualities could be secured for the wages of
dulness, or that the best way to obtain immaculate
honesty was to give a man a salary which would not
place the poorest person beyond the reach of temp-
tation. For many years the Post-office employes had
preferred ther claims for redress on the Post-office
authorities, but without avail. Their representa-
tions had been treated with neglect and contempt.
He did not complain that the present heads of
departments, as they were called, were no wiser
than their predecessors, and it should be borne in
mind that that great man, Sir Rowland Hill,
had taken it as a fundamental maxim that the au-
thorities were always wrong. They were always
wrong in their opinions, their figures, and their
prophecies, and they were now trying to diminish
the magnificent results which the exertions of Sir
R. Hill had achieved by the prosecution of a sys-
tem which led to a state of things almost amount-
ing to starvation. Mr. Bennett, to show_how badly
the servants of the Post-office were in some in-
stances remunerated, read a letter which he had re-
ceived from a country postman, which stated that
he only got 12s. a week, and that having a wife and
four children to support, he could scarcely procure
for them the common necessaries of life. It was
unworthy, he contended, of a great and opulent
country like England to have these who served
well in a position of much trust and responsibility
thus paid,and he trusted that public opinion would
be brotight to bear upon the subject, so that they
might be placed in a better position. Mr. E.
Reid then presented himself to the meeting, and
proposed the following resolution :—" That, con-
sidering the large amount of work Post-office
employes have to perform, the importance and trust
of their duties, the increased cost of living to which
they are now subject, and the additional remunera-
tion that has been accorded to other classes of labour,
this meeting is of opinion that Post-office officials
on the permanent and unestablished staff through-
out the kingdom, especially those intrusted with
sorting, stamping, and carrying duties, arc insuffi-
cently paid, and need a more certain and speedy
means of promotion ; that this meeting would ex
press its sympathy with the large class of the un-
establiahcd employes called rural messengers;' and,
considering the great amount of their daily duties,
the similarity of their work to that of the per-
manent staff, the character of the widespread and
difficult districts through which they have to travel,
is of opinion that they deserve a higher rate of re-
muneration, and also that some scheme of promo-
tion, of sick pay, annual holydays, with uniform,
&c., might justly be provided for them." He dwelt
at considerable length on the punctuality and in-
, tegrity by which the Post-office employes were cha-
racterised, and the paltry reward which they received
for their services. He alluded to the fact that the
officers of the Inland Revenue and the cab pro-
prietors had had their claims for redress granted or
favourably entertained almost before the ink was
dry on the resolutions in which they were em-
bodied, and asked whether the servants of the Post-
office were entitled to less consideration. lie

nue? 4d.
STAMPED sd.

rointed out that while the rural messengers and
postmen received only from Bs. to 14s. a week, they
were -greatly overworked, and that they, as well
as their colleagues iu the metrorolis, were exposed
to an atmosphere of suspicion which it was diffi-
cult for honest men to endure. Referring to the
r4)ellioa is Jamaica, he expressed it to be his
belief that it was in some degree to be attributed to
the culpable negligence of a public officer in one
of our great departments, who published a confi-
dential letter which went out to that is'and, and
which roused the indignation of the natives. Yet,
while am man who had done, that great injury to
the country was visite 1 with no punishment, a l oor
postman who lost a letter iu the street by accident
was at once ruined in life by the action of the head
of his department. Mr. Reid, iu conclusion, ad-
vocated the appointment of a commission to in-
quire into the justice of the complaints of those
whose cause he pleaded. The resolutions, having
been seconded by Mr. Richardson, were put
and unanimously adopted. Dr. Bogg then
moved, " That, with full conviction of the reli-
gious, political, and social evils resulting from Sun-
day labour as existing in connection with our postal
arrangements, and believing that it may be entirely
abolished without injury to commerce by timely
notice and preparation, this meeting implores her
Majesty's Government to take early steps for re-
moving this great evil from our midst." He argued
that it was a matter of great social importance that
the 21,000 Post-office en-ploy& who were engaged
on Sunday labour throughout the country should
be exempted from such. work, and expressed ape
that by steady perseverance a state of things so
much open to objection on many grounds would be
obviated. Mr. Shaw having seconded the resolu-
tion it was at once agreed to as was also a resolu-
tion praying that Parliament might deem it advis-
able to furnish returns of the scale of pay for the
various grades in the various offices, and of the
money expended in the detective department—
also one authorising the getting up of a petition
e nbodying the substance of the previous resolu-
tions. A vote of thanks to the chairman brought
the proceedings to a close.