§ MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether the decision of the Postmaster General transferring Cork postmen from the fourth to the third scale was subject in the case of indoor postmen to the conditions that an allowance of 3s. a week, which they had previously received, should be abolished; whether the effect of this is, instead of improving their position, to, in effect, reduce a salary of 29s. a week (i.e., 26s. and an allowance of 3s.) to 27s.; whether the abolition of allowances elsewhere was limited to future appointments, the right to them being preserved by existing recipients; whether the Cork indoor postmen, on the 27th October last, presented a memorial to the Postmaster General, asking to have their case reconsidered; and when a reply thereto may be expected?
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURYIn accordance with the recommendation of the Tweedmouth Committee no new allowances to postmen for indoor duties have been granted since the 1st April last, but postmen actually in receipt of such allowances on that date, were allowed to retain them as an addition to their existing wages. The postmen concerned at Cork therefore become entitled to their maximum pay of 24s. (not 26s. as the hon. Member supposes) plus 3s., the latter payment being merged in their wages. Some months later, the maximum of scale of wages for all the town postmen at Cork was raised from 24s. to 26s.; but those men who were in receipt of allowances, continued to be entitled to a maximum of 27s. 899 The memorial referred to does not appear to have reached the Postmaster General.