§ MR. J. P. O'BRIEN (Tipperary, N.)asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether a Memorial has been received by the Postmaster General and the Lords of the Treasury from the inhabitants of the parish of Templederry, county Tipperary, praying to be relieved from the great inconvenience they are subjected to in consequence of 104 the removal of the post office from the village of Templederry, which is in the vicinity of the Catholic Church and schools; whether this post office was removed so recently as last July to half a mile distant, to the house of a licensed publican; whether this man when appointed as postmaster was seventy years old; whether the registered letters and stamps are kept by him on his licensed premises; whether the general access to the post office is through said licensed premises; whether this is in accordance with the rules of the Post Office; and, whether, having regard to these facts and the great public inconvenience, as set forth in Memorial referred to, steps will be taken to restore the post office to its original central position in the village?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. HENRY H. FOWLER) (Wolverhampton, E.)The Memorial referred to by the hon. Member was received and carefully inquired into. The late postmaster was dismissed in March last, and his successor, George Powell, was appointed in June by the Treasury upon nomination in the usual way. Taking Templederry Cross as the central point, the house of the late postmaster is 950 yards to the west of it, while that of the new postmaster is 787 yards to the east of it. Powell holds a retail licence; he is 68 years of age, but is fully competent to perform the duties of postmaster. The registered letters are kept under lock and key in the post office. It would be irregular for a post office to be in a licensed vintner's premises; but this post office is separate from it, and has a separate entrance. There is also a window through which the business of the post office can be transacted.
§ MR. W. O'BRIEN (Tyrone, S.)Might I ask what the hon. Gentleman means by "nomination in the usual way?" Who made the nomination?
§ MR. HENRY H. FOWLERI am informed that the appointment was made by the Treasury in the usual way. If the hon. Member desires information on the subject I will make further inquiry.
§ MR. J. P. O'BRIENThe hon. Gentleman has not answered the last paragraph of my Question.
§ MR. HENRY H. FOWLERI thought I had. The Postmaster General 105 considers that the present postmaster is discharging his duties satisfactorily.