§ MR. SWEETMAN (Wicklow, E.)I beg to ask the Postmaster General will he explain why a smaller allowance is given for special duty to telegraphists during the present Naval Manœuvres than was given some years ago; whether he is aware that 12 Post Office clerks received an allowance at the rate of 12s. a day for a fortnight several summers ago; whether a telegraphist sent from a country station in Ireland is given an even smaller allowance than is given to a Dublin telegraphist for similar work; whether a smaller allowance is given in Ireland than in England; and, if so, on what grounds; whether telegraphists after five years' service are only paid 22s. a week, and whether a reduction of allowance for special duty has the same effect as the reduction of the year's salary; whether it is the practice of the Post Office to pay as low wages and to give as small an extra allowance for special duty as competition will enable it, or to pay a living wage; and whether he will give orders that during the present Naval Manœuvres the same allowance for extra duty shall be given telegraph clerks as is given during Military Manœuvres and race meetings?
§ MR. A. MORLEYNo alteration has been made in the allowance given to telegraphists for special duty. So far as I have been able to ascertain, there has been no case in which 12 Post Office clerks have received an allowance of 12s. a day for a fortnight when specially em- 467 ployed on work in connection with the Naval Manœuvres. No distinction is made in the matter of allowances between telegraphists drawn from a country office and those drawn from the Metropolitan Office in Ireland. The subsistence allowances in Ireland are on the same scale as in England. These subsistence allowances have no bearing upon the amount of their wages. The hon. Member must form his own conclusions as to Post Office wages. Full details are given in the Estimates. The allowances arranged for the present Naval Manœuvres appear to be adequate, and I do not propose that they should be increased. The circumstances at Naval Manœuvres differ from those which obtain at race meetings, where the cost of living and sleeping accommodation was abnormally high. At Military Manœuvres the allowances vary according to the circumstances. Every case is carefully considered, and if any case is brought to my notice in which it is considered the allowance is insufficient it will be fully inquired into.