§ DR. J. K. KENNY (Dublin, College Green)I beg to ask the Postmaster General if he will explain why it was that, although the candidates for the vacancy which occurred about six months ago in the Postmastership of Bagnalstown, or Bagenalstown, County Carlow, were officially informed that the appointment to the Postmastership of offices of the class of Bagenalstown was given only to persons already in the, service of the Department, a person entirely unconnected with postal service was nevertheless 947 subsequently appointed; will he state why the rule was departed from in this case; and, on whose recommendation the appointment was made?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. A. MORLEY, Nottingham, E.)In Ireland, although there is no actual rule, it is usual to appoint persons already in the service of the Department to Postmasterships with a salary of £100 or more. At Bagnalstown the salary was only raised, on the present vacancy, from £90 to £100, and, as the circumstance of the addition to the salary was not locally known, and expectation had in consequence been formed that a local candidate would be selected, I thought it right to appoint Mr. Joyce, who was officially reported as possessing all the qualifications necessary for a good Postmaster.
§ MR. L. P. HAYDEN (Roscommon, S.)asked if the right hon. Gentleman was aware that a circular was sent to a number of applicants for the position stating that the appointment would be limited to persons already in the service of the Department?
§ MR. A. MORLEYreplied, that he appointed a local man after carefully considering all the facts.