HC Deb 29 March 1897 vol 47 cc1560-2
MR. MASSEY-MAINWARING (Finsbury, Central)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if his attention has been drawn to a telegram sent by Lord Tweedmouth to the mass meeting of postmen at the Memorial Hall, Farringdon Street, explaining that the Committee's Report clearly indicates that effective prohibition of Christmas boxes must necessarily be accompanied by the granting of a higher scale of wages to postmen; and when the higher scale of wages in lieu of Christmas boxes will be granted to all postmen?

MR. S. WOODS (Essex, Walthamstow)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if his attention has been called to that section of Lord Tweedmouth's Report which prohibits postmen asking for Christmas boxes; whether that recommendation will be acted on next Christmas; and, whether the whole of the Report will be brought under the consideration of the House; if so, when?

MR. HANBURY

The Postmaster General's attention has been drawn to a statement in the newspapers to the effect that at a recent meeting of postmen a telegram from Lord Tweedmouth to the following effect was read:— That the Committee's Report clearly indicates that the effective prohibition of Christmas boxes must necessarily be accompanied by the granting of a higher scale of wages to postmen. The Postmaster General has not seen the actual text of that telegram; but the recommendation of the Committee over which Lord Tweedmouth presided was the adoption of a general rule for all postmen against solicitation of Christmas boxes. A rule somewhat similar to that recommended by the Committee is already in force throughout the whole of the United Kingdom except time metropolis. The Committee go on to say:— Had we seen our way to recommend total prohibition, we might have suggested somewhat higher scales of wages for postmen; but the payment which we have proposed is, we believe, in itself, under the conditions contemplated in this Report, an adequate remuneration for a postman's labour. The Postmaster General does not, therefore, intend to make any payment in lieu of Christmas boxes. The new rule will be acted upon next Christmas. The Committee's Report, as the hon. Member is aware, has already been laid upon the Table of the House.

MR. J. F. X. O'BRIEN (Cork)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, what is the estimated value of Christmas boxes to the postmen of the city of Cork; whether it is proposed to deprive them of this benefit; and, if so, what equivalent in increased salary is proposed to be given them?

MR. HANBURY

The Postmaster General is unable to say what is the estimated value of Christmas boxes to the postmen of Cork. It is not, proposed to deprive them of this benefit, though it is proposed to prevent them soliciting the public for them verbally, as they are already forbidden to solicit the public for them by the use of printed cards or letters. The Committee expressly stated that the wages of postmen which they recommended constituted an adequate remuneration for a postman's labour, and it is not intended to increase it.

MR. KNOX

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General (1) whether the Postmaster General will fill the existing vacancies in the Sorting Office, General Post Office, Dublin, on the classes of first class assistant superintendents, clerks, and first class sorting clerks, before the recommendations of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments are put into effect; and if, in view of the statement contained in the Report of that body that promotions should be made with as much celerity as possible, he intends to bring the strength of these classes to its full standard before the 1st April; and (2) whether he is aware that one vacancy has existed in the rank of first class assistant superintendents for the past nine months, and seven and six vacancies in that of the clerks' class and first class sorting clerks, respectively, for the past two years?

MR. HANBURY

The Postmaster General proposes to fill the existing vacancies in the Sorting Office, General Post Office, Dublin, on the classes of first class assistant superintendents and clerks as soon as the authorities in Ireland are in a position to make the necessary recommendations on the qualifications of time officers eligible for promotion. Having regard to the recommendation of the Tweedmouth Committee, that classification between first class and second class sorting clerks should be abolished, he is not in a position, without further inquiry, to say whether he will or will not till up the vacancies on the first class of sorting clerks. The hon. Member is under a misapprehension as regards the dates mentioned in the second part of the Question. The vacancy for a first class superintendent occurred in September last, and none of time other vacancies have existed for one year—three of them having only occurred since the beginning of November.