HC Deb 03 November 1882 vol 274 cc757-8
COLONEL O'BEIRNE

asked the Postmaster General, Whether it is true that the letter-carrier between Kesh Carrigan and Drumcong, county Leitrim, has to perform his duties at all seasons of the year and chiefly during the night, only receives an annual salary of £4 13s. 6d. to carry the letters a distance of ten miles; and, whether it is contemplated to make any revision of the scale of wages of rural letter-carriers with a view of giving an increase of salary?

MR. FAWCETT

Sir, the facts of the case to which my hon. Friend refers are simply these. The sub-postmaster of Drumcong has to send twice a day to meet the mail cart at Kesh Carrigan, a distance of three-quarters of a mile, and for this, in addition to his allowance as sub-postmaster, he receives £5 a year. He ought to give the whole of this sum to the letter carrier who does the work; I find, however, he gives him a few shillings less. With regard to the latter part of the Question, I may state that, although there has been no general revision of the scale of wages of rural letter carriers, the system of good-conduct stripes, which has hitherto been confined to London, has now been extended to the entire country, and a certain number of these stripes will be bestowed on the rural letter carriers who are on the establishment. I may add that the introduction of a parcel post will probably render it necessary in numerous instances to re-arrange the duties of rural letter carriers.

MR. SCHREIBER

asked the right hon. Gentleman when the parcel post would be introduced?

MR. FAWCETT

I am sorry I cannot state with certainty when it will be introduced. It is, as I have already said, very undesirable to bring it into operation until all our arrangements are complete. No effort is being spared to hasten the arrangements, and I can assure the hon. Member and the House generally that the very moment the Post Office is ready the country shall not have an hour's delay.

MR. BROADHURST

asked when the good-conduct stripes would be served out to the rural letter carriers?

MR. FAWCETT,

in reply, said, he thought that the arrangements had already been made. The authorities were then engaged in finding out the letter carriers entitled to receive the stripes.