§ MR. HOUSTON (Liverpool, West Toxteth)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is aware that the system of continuous acting in superior positions without receiving extra pay is felt by the officials in the postal department at Liverpool to be a hardship and a cause of discontent, more especially owing to the increase in the work of the postal department there and the fact that the concession granting superior duty pay after performing higher duties continuously for nine months has proved to be of little benefit to the staff; and whether the Postmaster General will, in view of the promise made in a circular addressed to the staff dated 19th August, 1897, create a number of superior positions at Liverpool, or grant superior duty allowances to officials performing higher duties irrespective of the time they may have to perform, such higher duties?
§ MR. BANBURYThe Postmaster General is aware that the Liverpool staff are not satisfied with the arrangements referred to, but he cannot admit that there are good grounds for dissatisfaction. In accordance with the promise conveyed in the Post Office Circular, of 10th August, 1897, a full investigation was made into the question of increasing the number of superior appointments at Liverpool, and, as a result, an addition of 12 such appointments for men and two for women was sanctioned in February last. No more are warranted at the present time. The concession which was made by the Postmaster General and myself, that officers discharging superior duties for lengthened periods should, after nine months' continuous employment on such duties, be granted superior duty pay, was never intended to apply to offices like Liverpool, where there are 484 already an adequate number of superior appointments. It was intended to meet the case of offices where, either from the prolonged illness of some of the superintending staff, or from some other cause, officers were unavoidably employed for lengthened periods on those duties.