§ BARON FERDINAND DE ROTHSCHILD (Buckinghamshire, Aylesbury)asked the Postmaster General whether he is aware of the fact that clerks at the Central Telegraph Office have been promoted from the first to the senior class, without any prolonged wait, who are not able to perform the superior duties of the office; whether this has resulted in the closing of the senior class to those officers who have long been waiting at the maximum of the first class, who not only have longer service now than the clerks previously promoted had at the time of their promotion, but are capable of, have been for years, and are now performing superior duties, and whose prospects of promotion are apparently nil; and, whether having regard to the fact that the "Fawcett Scheme" provides for payment for work solely according to its quality, he will take such steps as will secure the early promotion of those clerks on the first class who are performing superior duties?
§ *MR. RAIKESTo the first of the hon. Member's questions, the answer is in the negative. The alleged cause not existing, I do not well see how the result suggested can have followed. To the second question, therefore, the answer is also in the negative. The complements of the several classes having been fixed after careful consideration, I am not prepared to recommend any increase of them at present.