§ MR. SEXTONI beg to ask the Postmaster General whether, following the precedent in the cases of ten principal cities and towns in England, he intends to constitute the Postmasters of Belfast, Cork, and Limerick surveyors of their respective districts; and whether he has received from the United Kingdom Postal Clerks' Association a petition for reform of certain terms and conditions of employment in the service, and whether an answer has been given?
§ SIR J. FERGUSSON(1) There is no such intention as is stated in the question. I may notice that the arrangement referred to applies only to three cities in England and one in Scotland. (2) With regard to the second part of the hon. Member's question, no such petition has been received, but I recently received a request by a second class sorting clerk asking whether I would accept a petition signed by the executive of the so-called association, and I replied that—
While ready to consider any petition that may be put forward by the sorting clerk in question, or by other Post Office servants in their official capacity and forwarded through their superior officers, I must decline to receive representations from an organised association not recognised by the Department.