§ CAPTAIN DONELAN (Cork, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he can state the scale of wages paid to rural postmen in Great Britain; and whether the same scale applies to Ireland?
§ MR. HANBURYThe scales of wages now paid to rural postmen are as follow:—17s. by 1s. to 24s. a week, 17s. by 1s. to 22s. a week, 17s. by 1s. to 21s. a week, 16s. by 1s. to 20s. a week, 15s. by 1s. to 19s. a week, 14s. by 1s. to 18s. a week, 13s. by 1s. to 17s. a week according to the districts in which the men are serving. Under the recommendations of the Tweedmouth Committee, rural postmen starting on their walks from a town head office will receive the same scale as the town postmen in that town, except that the maximum of the scale will be less by 2s. a week. The new scales for provincial town postmen are respectively—18s. by 1s. 6d. to 30s. a week, 18s. by 1s. 6d. to 28s. a week, 18s. by 1s. 6d. to 26s. a week, 17s. by 1s. 6d. to 24s. a week, 16s. by is. 6d. to 22s. a week. As regards rural postmen starting from sub-offices, the pay, which will vary according to the rates of wages in the locality, will in no case fall below 16s. a week in Great Britain and 15s. a week in Ireland.
§ SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucester, Forest of Dean)was understood to ask whether the majority of the postmen in 1555 rural districts were not members of the auxiliary classes?
§ MR. HANBURYNo, I think not.
§ CAPTAIN DONELANWhy is any difference made in the scale of pay in Great Britain and Ireland?
§ MR. HANBURYBecause everywhere the scale varies with the cost of living in the locality.