§ MR. DILLON (Mayo, E.)On behalf of the honourable Member for South Louth, I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, whether junior telegraph clerks of the Central Telegraph Office, London, are compelled to take their annual leave during the winter months, and whether men with upwards of 10 years' service have never had a summer holiday; and whether it can be stated when any improvement is to take place, as promised by the Postmaster-General in 1897?
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. R. W. HANBURY,) PrestonThe statements in the first paragraph are substantially correct. The Postmaster-General regrets that he has not yet been able to extend to the London telegraphists the same concession in this matter that has been granted to those in the provinces (where it has generally been found practicable to do it at a moderate cost), but he has the subject still under consideration, and he hopes that it may be possible to find some solution without imposing any serious additional charge on public funds.