§ MR. KILBRIDEOn behalf of the hon. Member for South Galway (Mr. D. Sheehy) I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether unestablished or auxiliary postmen are entitled to any pension or compensation; whether men of 15 years' service and over are entitled to good conduct stripes, or, in lieu, any other concession; whether such men, walking the full length of their post on week days and also on Sundays, will be granted the alternate Sunday rest, having regard to the hopes held out on this question in March 1893, and still in abeyance; and whether they will be granted a fortnight's vacation annually, also sick leave on medical certificate, and boot allowance?
§ MR. ARNOLD MORLEYAn unestablished postman, in the technical sense, is, as a rule, a postman ineligible on grounds of age or otherwise for an established appointment, but doing a 591 full day's work. He is allowed uniform, two-thirds pay for six months during sickness, with medical attendance free of charge wherever there is an official doctor, a fortnight's annual leave, relief from duty on alternate Sundays, and extra pay for Sunday work. He is not, however, eligible for good conduct stripes or pension. An auxiliary postman is a postman who performs short duties only, and does not give his whole time to the service. Auxiliaries have no claim to pension, and are not entitled to good-conduct stripes and the other privileges which are reserved for the regular or full-duty staff. Auxiliary town and rural postmen are supplied with uniform clothing, and all those town postmen who perform a double duty, occupying them from four to six hours on week days, are relieved from duty on alternate Sundays. Auxiliary rural postmen are relieved from duty, as a rule, on every alternate Sunday, when their daily walk amounts to as much as 12 miles or their hours of attendance are such as prevent them from attending divine service.