§ MR. M'CARTAN (Down, S.)asked the Postmaster General, Whether his reply to the Petition of the second-class clerks employed at the Central Telegraph Office, presented in March, 1886, that the officers were for the time receiving less pay under the present classification than they might have received under the old system, applies to second-class only or to all classes equally; whether there are clerks who were promoted to the first-class last September whose service commenced in April, 1877; whether there are now waiting at the top of the second-class clerks whose service commenced in May, 1877, and in some cases earlier, and whose service now is longer than that of the first-class clerks referred to; whether there are clerks in the first-class who were not passed over for promotion, and who have longer service than some of the senior clerks; and, whether he will state what steps he proposes to take with regard to extending the senior class in the Central Telegraph Office, and in the London District, in order to meet future requirements?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. RAIKES) (Cambridge University)In reply to the hon. Member. I have to state that my reply to the Petition applies only to a few officers on the second-class, and not to all classes equally. My answer to the second and third Questions is "yes." As to the fourth Question, there are first-class clerks, who wore not passed over in the recent promotion, whose continuous service in the Department is longer than the service of some of the senior clerks; but those senior clerks were promoted in the past for their superior acquirements. I am not prepared to state what decision I shall arrive at with respect to any addition to the number of senior clerks.