§ MR. STEADMANI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, whether he is aware that Postman Coulson, of Malton has been reprimanded and fined one day's pay (4s.) for having solicited a Christmas box from the Honourable G. Dawnay; whether he is aware that the postman declares that he only called on Mr. Dawnay to ascertain if any other postman had called on him for the customary Christmas box; that he utterly denies having stated that the Department expected men to solicit Christmas boxes in order to make up their wages, and explains that all he did say was that the Department, in fixing the amount of wages, took the Christmas boxes into consideration; and whether that point has any bearing on the amount of wages?
§ MR. HANBURYWalter Coulson, postman at Malton, was suspended from pay for one day and cautioned for having made a remark while soliciting a Christmas box from Mr. Dawnay to the effect that the Department expected postmen to ask for Christmas boxes in order to make up their wages, and that Christmas boxes were taken into account in fixing the men's wages. The inquiry left no doubt that Coulson did make the remark, which he must have known to be without foundation in fact. The Department does not take Christmas boxes into consideration in fixing postmen's wages.