§ MR. NEWDEGATEasked the Postmaster General, Whether he has sanctioned the publication of a directory by the Postmaster of Birmingham as a private speculation; and, further, whether the Postmaster of Birmingham has the authority of the Postmaster General for employing the postmen and Post Office clerks of the Birmingham Post Office in this private speculation?
§ MR. FAWCETTSir, I have lately received numerous applications from in- 619 fluential merchants and others in Birmingham, that the letter-carriers should be allowed in their leisure to assist in the preparation of a directory. I saw no reason to withhold permission; but, in granting it, it was distinctly stipulated that the letter-carriers should only do the work when off duty; and, if it led to any abuse, the permission was to be at once withdrawn. So far as the Post Office is concerned, no exclusive privilege is given to any particular publisher. I understand that a firm in Birmingham has already arranged to employ the letter-carriers in the preparation of a directory, and that a certain share of the profits, if any, will be distributed among them. The Postmaster of Birmingham has assured me that he has no pecuniary interest whatever in the publication, and I think it would be very undesirable that a postmaster or any other official who was responsible for the due performance of their duty by the letter-carriers should be pecuniarily interested in a directory in the preparation of which the letter-carriers were employed.
§ MR. NEWDEGATEsaid, the point of his question was, Were the subordinates of the Post Office employed under the authority of the Postmaster at Birmingham for the purpose of collecting information for a private speculation?
§ MR. FAWCETT, in reply, said, he had only to repeat what he had already stated, that he believed, in the first instance, the Postmaster did give this permission; but he immediately caused that permission to be withdrawn, until he had time to consider the subject. Having considered it, he gave permission to the letter-carriers on the conditions which he (Mr. Fawcett) had previously described —namely, that they should only be employed in their leisure time; that if the practice led to any abuse the permission should be at once withdrawn; and, lastly, that the directory should be published as a private speculation without any official authority whatever.