§ MR. DONAL SULLIVAN () (for Mr. J. JORDAN,) Clare, W.I beg to ask the Postmaster General if his attention has been called to the suicide of Mr. Cleary, of the General Post Office, Dublin, and to the rider to the verdict of the Coroner's jury that Mr. Cleary had been harshly treated by the Post Office Authorities; if this harsh treatment was due to the fact that Mr. Cleary had drawn attention to excessive hours which some of the employés were compelled to work; if previous to that time Mr. Cleary had been always highly recommended by his superiors; and if, under the circumstances, an inquiry will be granted in order to ascertain whether his death is to be attributed to the ill-treatment to which he was subjected; and, if so, whether some grant may be made to assist his family?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Sir J. FERGUSSON,) Manchester, N.E.Mr. Cleary, who held the position of clerk in the sorting office of the Dublin Post Office, committed suicide on the 23rd November last. At the inquest the Coroner's jury added to their verdict a rider that Mr. Cleary had been harshly treated by the Department. As a matter of fact, he had not been treated harshly, and the only event which could have been referred to occurred nine months previously, namely, in February, 1891, when Mr. Cleary was reprimanded and cautioned for unduly delaying the orders of his immediate superior officers, and had no reference whatever to excessive hours of duty; but this reprimand did not stand in the way of his advancement, inasmuch as in the August following he was promoted from an overseership to a clerkship, whereby, besides receiving some slight increase of pay, his official status was considerably improved. He appears, indeed, to have thought that he ought to have been promoted to an assistant superintendentship, but for that post he was not considered to be qualified. Had he not borne a good character generally he would not have 41 received the promotion he did. The widow was left with nine children. There is no fund from which she could receive a grant. I am informed that she is not in distress. The three eldest children have been given employment in the Dublin Post Office, while the remainder are too young to work.
§ MR. D. SULLIVANMight I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he would lay the correspondence in this case on the Table of the House?
§ SIR JAMES FERGUSSONNo, Sir. I think there is no occasion to lay the correspondence on the Table of the House. I have looked most carefully into this case, but I could ascertain nothing calling for further inquiry. This poor man suffered from what the doctor called nervous depression; he was under the doctor's care for that state of health in the year previous to the occurrence of the reprimand, and the doctor strongly advised him to take a considerable period of leave for the benefit of his health. But out of regard for his family, and lest they might suffer from his loss of pay, he unfortunately refused to take the leave.
§ MR. SEXTONWill the right hon. Gentleman consider whether he cannot provide a gratuity for the widow and nine children?
§ SIR JAMES FERGUSSONNo, Sir. There is no fund out of which they could be given a gratuity. I am glad to say that the three children are receiving at present 37s. a week.
§ MR. SEXTONThe right hon. Gentleman says there is no fund out of which a gratuity could be paid. But surely the House could order the granting of a small gratuity to the widow and children?
DR. TANNEECould the right hon. Gentleman say whether the nervous depression from which this gentleman suffered was not the result of long hours?
§ [No answer was returned.]