Interview with Sam Mather

Sam Mather recalls family background and religion in family. Discusses female employees in the Post Office, Maori employees, post-retirement work at Education Board, playing the cornet in the Waihi Federal Band, major illness in 1958 and earlier illnesses. Describes work as message boy at Otane Post Office in 1916, duties, hours, postmaster and other staff. Briefly discusses later involvement in Labour party in Onslow Electorate and mentions union newspaper Katipo.

Talks about childhood, education, arrival in New Zealand in 1913, salary in first job (as message boy) in the Post Office, interest in photography, work as exchange clerk at Waipawa Post Office in 1918, shift work, effect of World War I on staffing, toll board, subscriber board, rotation and duty hours, pay rates, pressure, interest in morse, gifts from subscribers, effect of influenza epidemic in 1918, going to Telegraph School at Ponsonby, Auckland in 1920, life and expenses, Auckland picture theatres, speed of sending, quality of hand writing, working hours, personalities.

Describes transfer to Engineers' Clerical Branch in 1924, procedure for obtaining a radio licence, murder of Ponsonby Postmaster - Brathwaite (?) in early 1920s, the 1920 railway strike, being a cadet at Opotiki Post Office in 1920, the postmaster - George Stephenson, playing in brass bands, an orchestra and a dance band, transfer to relief staff in Waihi in 1922, the postmaster - Hugh Dawson, Waihi as a place, the Waihi Brass Band, prohibition of alcohol in Waihi, anecdotes about gold.

Talks about his transfer to Kaikohe in 1923, the Ngapuhi people, postmaster P J Eccleton, mail days, mail sorting, volume of mail, telegraph work, banking work. Discusses promotion, salaries and examinations while at the Engineers' Office, the usefulness of the experience for clerical work, radio inspection work. Talks about Post and Telegraph Association and election as chairman of the Auckland Section in 1930, salary cuts. Recalls and gives details of the Queen Street riot (Auckland) of 1932. Details the Post and Telegraph Association procession and public meeting, the role of John A Lee, J H McKenzie, Jim Edwards, unemployed group, atmosphere, looting, comparison with Auckland riot on December 1984. Discusses the de-recognition of the Post and Telegraph Association following the riot. Mentions the formation of the Post and Telegraph Officers Guild in the 1930s. Outlines the main issues fought for by the association.

Describes attitudes of directors-general to the association, absence of strikes, the death benefit, leaving Post Office to become a full time secretary of the association in 1939, service in Wellington during World War II. Discusses influence of the association on senior appointments. Mentions Charles McFarlane, Dawson Donaldson, Walter Nash, Gabriel Wilkes, Outlines work as General Secretary from 1946-1958, wage reviews and superannuation fund in 1946, the Public Service Investment Society, contact with members of the association.

Venue - Wellington

Interviewer(s) - Judith Fyfe

Venue - At Sam Mather's home at Ngaio, Wellington and Ward 25, Wellington Hospital

Accompanying material - Copies of newspaper articles: 'Lifetime service to Post Office and its staff: fine record of Mr Mather' from The Standard, 16 April 1958; 'Past General Secretary honoured' from The Katipo, February 1976, p. 19; 'P S Employees farewell two', from unknown source.

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-000743-OHC-000745; OHC-000758; OHC-000760; OHC-000768-OHC-000769

Quantity: 7 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 6.30 Hours and minutes Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete AB 120.

Search dates: 1903 - 1984

Alternative form available: Listening copies OHLC-000558 - OHLC-000564; OHLCD-0365 - OHLCD-0371; OHLC-006732 - OHLC-006734