§ MR. M'GHEE (Louth, S.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster-General, whether he can state the number of telegraphists short of the staff authorised for working the Central Telegraph Office between 11 a.m. and noon on the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 18th, and 19th of April; and whether it is a fact that the dinner time of a large number of the workers was considerably delayed owing to the insufficiency of the staff?
THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURYThe number of telegraphists short of the authorised staff allowance between 11 a.m. and noon on the dates mentioned ranged from 32 to 64, and averages 41 out of a total of 2,000. A large number of telegraphists were withdrawn from the Central Office for special duties at race meetings, etc., and the full number usually allowed between 11 a.m. and noon could not have been provided without bringing on at 11 o'clock telegraphists whose ordinary attendance did not commence until 3 p.m., and thus involving four hours' overtime in each case to meet the requirements of a single hour. Notwithstanding the shortness of staff, however, the whole of the telegraphists whose duty commenced at 7 a.m. were relieved for refreshment between 11 a.m. and noon, excepting on one day when a 1310 few telegraphists were detained until a few minutes after noon. The staff commencing duty at 8 a.m. were released between 12.15 and 12.50 p.m., with the exception that on one day a few telegraphists were detained until 1.15 p.m. The staff commencing duty at 9 a.m. were in every case released before 2 p.m.