MR. PATRICK O'BRIENI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, will he explain why the scale of pay at Dungannon for postmen is, town postmen, 16s. to 23s.; head office rurals, 16s. to 20s.; and sub-office rurals, 15s. to 17s., seeing that the rural postmen have to pass the same examination as the town postmen and do the same work; and whether he will consider the advisability of increasing the pay of the sub-rurals so as to bring their maximum up to within 2s. of the maximum of town postmen?
§ MR. HANBURYThe scale of pay for town postmen at Dungannon is 16s. to 22s., not 23s. as stated by the honourable Member. The maximum of the scale of the rural postmen, starting from the head office, is fixed at 20s., 2s. less than that of town postmen, in accordance with the recommendations of Lord Tweedmouth's Committee. The pay of rural postmen living in the country, and starting from a sub-office, is properly fixed at a somewhat lower rate than that for men living in towns. In accordance with the recommendations of the Tweed-mouth Committee, the minimum pay of these men, provided they do a full day's work, is not to fall below 15s. a week.