§ MR. PROVAND (Glasgow, Blackfriars)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, if the operators on the Post Office local telephone exchanges are men or women, and what wages are paid to them; what wages are paid to those who operate the trunks; and if the usual increase of wages, and the holidays, pensions, sick-pay, medical attendance, and other emoluments are allowed to them on the scale customary to those employed in the Post Office?
§ MR. HANBURYWith few exceptions, the operators on the Post Office local telephone exchanges are women. They, as well as the operators on the trunk lines, are at present unestablished, and have no fixed scales of pay, but proposals are now before the Treasury for settling their position and wages. In the meanwhile they are paid wages of varying amounts, according to their length of service, and are allowed holidays, sick-pay, and medical attendance, but, being at present unestablished, they are not entitled to pensions. All operators taken over from the National Telephone Company have been granted an increase of 4s. per week.