HC Deb 24 July 1899 vol 75 cc78-9
MR. HAYDEN

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, will he explain why the departure of the letter carrier from Moyvore Post Office, in the County Westmeath, has been altered to 10 a.m. on Sundays, one hour after his arrival, although the inhabitants of the district petitioned against this alteration, by which they were unable to reply to their letters, unless by sending to one of the neighbouring post offices or letterboxes, thus involving further Sunday labour; whether he is aware that the petition was signed by the clergy of both denominations as it was impossible for the letter carrier to attend divine service anywhere, and that the neighbouring post offices and letter-boxes are not cleared till 2 p.m., or after; and whether, in the new arrangements the same privilege as to time of Sunday closing may be extended to Moyvore district as is enjoyed by those surrounding it.

MR. HANBURY

No recent alteration has been made in the time of departure of the letter carrier from Moyvore Post Office on Sundays, and there is no trace of the receipt of any recent petition on the subject. The present hour of departure (10 a.m.) has been in force for some years, and is in accordance with the general rule under which rural postmen are permitted to return from the end of their walks on Sundays in the forenoon, in order to release them and all concerned from duty at an early hour of the day. There is an afternoon collection on the walk of another postman at two or three letter-boxes in the neighbourhood of Moyvore, which is an exception to the rule above referred to, but this does not appear to the Postmaster-General to afford sufficient ground for disturbing the Sunday arrangements at Moyvore.