§ MR. STEADMANI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether, when estimating the immediate cost of the Tweedmouth Committee's recommendations, his Grace included the cost of adjusting the sorters' "split" duties at the circulation office, so as to give the nine hours clear at home interval recommended by the Committee; if included, why the reform has not been carried out; and, if not included, will he kindly state the reasons for omitting it?
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. R. W. HANBURY,) PrestonThe cost of adjusting the "split" duties of the sorters in the circulation office was not included in the estimate of the cost of the recommendations of the Tweedmouth Committee, because a rearrangement of duties and of force does not necessarily involve expense. In 1894 the number of men performing "split" duties was 925. Arrangements have already been made reducing this number to 542, and proposals are under consideration for effecting a further reduction of about 140. The Department will lose no opportunity of reducing the remaining number of these morning and evening duties, but their abolition is largely dependent on the training of new staff, and necessarily takes time.