§ MR. GILHOOLYI beg to ask the Postmaster General (1) whether a principal clerkship in the Accountant's Office, General Post Office, Dublin, has been recently filled by the transfer thereto of an officer from the Controller's Office; (2) whether there was no one in 546 the former office competent to fill the position; (3) whether, since this transfer, a superior position has fallen vacant in the Controller's Office; (4) and whether the grievance complained of by the clerks of the Accountant's Office, as to the curtailment of promotion, can now be remedied by the re-transfer to the Controller's Office of the gentleman referred to?
§ SIR JAMES FERGUSSONThe facts are correctly stated in the first paragraph of the question. Some of the clerks in the office were competent for promotion, but not the seniors. No position with a salary at all equal to that of the officer transferred has fallen vacant in his former office. The officer in question cannot be re-transferred, as that would defeat the object with which the transfer was made—namely, to appoint the officer best qualified to discharge the duties.