§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, 1342 whether his attention has been called to the case of a telegraphist named Simmons, of the Brighton office, who has been stopped at the efficiency barrier for incompetence; whether, since the notification Simmons has been at times in charge of the instrument gallery, relieving an assistant superintendent; and whether, in view of the fact that Simmons has been denied access to a class of operators on the ground of alleged inefficiency, the Postmaster General will re-consider his decision in view of the fact that Simmons' superiors consider him able to supervise the work of other telegraphists.
§ MR. HANBURYI replied to the questions on this case put by the hon. Member on the 17th and 24th of last month.* The duties on which Mr. Simmons has been employed since that date are those of the rank and file, except that on Saturday the 16th instant he was, as the senior sorting clerk and telegraphist present, in charge of the instrument room during the absence of the assistant superintendent from 10.10 p.m. to midnight, a time when the work is very small. Mr. Simmons is afforded every facility for improving himself in the knowledge of those duties in which he is deficient, and it was owing to this arrangement that he was the senior sorting clerk and telegraphist on duty on the night of the 16th inst. The Postmaster General regrets that the circumstances are not such as to justify an alteration of the decision already given.