§ MR. FLOWER (Bradford, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he recently sanctioned the promotion at Bradford of two sorting clerks and telegraphists, junior in service to five other men whose average length of service is 28 years; whether special facilities were afforded the officers promoted to qualify for the higher position, such opportunities being denied to the clerks who were passed over; and whether the Postmaster General will consider the advisability of giving all such officers equal opportunities to qualify for future vacancies?
§ MR. HANBURYTWO clerkships on the telegraph side at Bradford were recently filled by the promotion of two officers who stood No. 6 and No. 7 respectively on the class of sorting clerks and telegraphists on the telegraph side, a class which numbers 55 in all. It was in this case essential that the two clerks should possess technical qualifications, which, unfortunately, four of their seniors on the class did not possess; the fifth was disqualified by inability to perform the duty efficiently owing to ill health. No exceptional facilities were afforded to the two officers promoted to qualify for the higher position; as a matter of fact, they have been employed on the same duty (test clerks) since the transfer of the telephone trunk lines to the State.