§ MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, at what date the next revision of the staff of the Cork Post Office is due; and, if not immediately, whether arrangements could be made to accelerate it, with a view of settling the question of the night interval?
§ MR. HANBURYA revision of the indoor establishment of the Cork Post Office will take place shortly. Meanwhile every opportunity will be taken of reducing the number of duties entailing the maintenance of the night interval.
§ MR. MAURICE HEALYI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, at what date the retiring room now available for the sorting staff of the Cork Post Office during the night interval was first permitted to be used by them; whether the Postmaster General is aware that, though the sorting staff number 15, the room has only five chairs in it; and whether a few couches will now be provided in the room to enable the members of the staff to rest during the night interval?
§ MR. HANBURYThe retiring room has been available for the use of the sorting staff ever since the present office was opened, but formal permission to use the room was never given to the staff because they never asked for it. The sorting staff at night numbers not 15 but 10, and the room has only four chairs in it. It is not the practice to provide couches in retiring rooms, and it is not proposed to do so at Cork; but care shall be taken that the number of chairs be made sufficient for the purpose. 393 If couches were provided in this case the room could no longer be used as a refreshment room. It is understood that as a matter of fact during the midnight interval in their work the men have all been in the habit of going to their homes which are close by.