§ MR. M'CARTAN (Down, S.)asked the Postmaster General, Whether he is aware that in the Central Telegraph Office there are 43 appointments in the first class which have been vacant since 1881; whether, by the late extension of the first-class, the number of these vacancies has been since increased to 115; whether, considering that the clerks waiting for promotion to these vacancies have never received the slightest benefit from the "Fawcett" Scheme of 1881, but have actually lost thereby, he will take steps to fill up these vacancies without any further delay; and, whether he will take into consideration the justice of giving these clerks "back pay" from the time of their appointment, as was done recently in a similar case in Dublin?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. RAIKES) (Cambridge University)It is not the fact that the vacancies existed in 1881. In consequence of the introduction of the 6d. rate large additions have been made to the staff, and the new entrants have entered at the bottom of the scale. In 1886 the number of the higher classes was re-adjusted, and a margin left to moot future requirements. It is only since then that the present vacancies have existed. It was not intended to fill all of them up at once. If that had been the intention, a smaller number would have been asked for.