§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether the Cork Telegraph Office has hitherto been recognised as a first-class office, in the same manner as Liverpool, Manchester, Dublin, Belfast, and many other large offices in the United Kingdom, the clerks in all such offices receiving an equal rate of pay; whether under his new scheme recently promulgated, the above-named offices are continued as first-class offices, while Cork is placed in a greatly inferior position; whether the first-class clerks in the above-named offices will in future receive a maximum salary in the case of Belfast of 54s., and of the other named offices of 56s. per week; whether, in the case of Cork, the maximum in future will be only 50s., as at present; whether the work performed in the Cork office is of the same quality, the duties are as arduous, and the average amount of work per man equal to that performed in the offices in which these higher maximum salaries are to be paid; and whether, in view of the discontent likely to be produced among men receiving lesser pay for the same amount and quality of work, he will re-consider the case of the Cork office?
§ * MR. RAIKESIn framing the new scheme to which the hon. Member refers, I have considered it right to take into account the strain imposed upon telegraphists in certain busy centres, together with the value of labour and the cost of living in great towns, such as Liverpool, Glasgow, &c. Judged by these considerations there is no ground for increasing the maximum of the first class wages at Cork, which, therefore, remains at its former standard. The position of Cork has not been reduced because special circumstances have been taken into account in granting increased salaries elsewhere. I should, therefore, not be justified in holding out any expectation of a re-adjustment of the salaries at Cork.