§ MR. LAWSON (St. Pancras, W.)I beg to ask the Postmaster General when the Overseers of the Metropolitan District Post Offices may expect to receive a detailed answer to their Petition of November, 1889, or whether the new scale of pay recently adopted is to be considered an answer; if so, whether he is aware that the Overseers are paid in many casts at a lower rate of wages than sorters over whom they exercise supervision; and if he is prepared to recommend a scale of pay more in accordance with the nature of their duties?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. RAIKES, Cambridge University)The decision of the Treasury dated the 16th February, 1891, fixed the scale of the Overseers referred to as follows:—First Class, 56s. by 2s. to 66s., in lieu of 52s. by 2s. to 62s. , Second Class, 40s. by 2s. to 56s., in lieu of 40s. by 2s. to 50s. It is not the case that a scale of wages has been fixed for Overseers lower than that given to the sorters whom they supervise, although it may be the case that a sorter of long service on his class may receive through special allowance more than an Overseer Class II. of short service on his class. I may mention that new allowances of 5s. a week are given to 83 Second Class Town District Overseers in addition to their wages, in order to mark the distinction between 791 the two classes. I am not now able to say if the Treasury would be disposed to re-consider a decision so recently arrived at, and which has scarcely had time to come into operation.