§ MR. T. M. HEALY (Louth, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether the Tweedmouth Committee recommended the abolition of classification in the postal telegraph service, what is the maximum of the scale attached to the class of clerks at Armagh, how many men at Armagh belong to the clerkship class, their length of service and present salary, what is the number of sorting clerks and telegraphists at Armagh, the maximum of the scale for men of this class, how many men have obtained the maximum, how long have they been in that position, what is their length of service, and what is their future prospect.
§ MR. HANBURYLord Tweedmouth's Committee recommended the amalgamation into one of the first and second classes of telegraphists, and this recommendation was duly carried out. It did not affect the Armagh office at which there was no first class. There is only one officer of the rank of clerk at Armagh. He performs supervising duties and the maximum of his scale is £170 a year which he attained in October, 1898, after a service of seventeen years. There are nine sorting clerks and telegraphists. The maximum of their scale is 40s. a week, which has been reached by two men only (in 1897). The service of one dates from December, 1882, and of the other from May, 1873, but the latter was transferred to Armagh from another office in 1892. Their future prospect, so far as the Armagh office is concerned, depends upon their qualifications for promotion and on the occurrence of vacancies in superior positions, but, of course, it is always open to these officers to apply for transfer to more important offices possessing higher scales. The maximum of the scale for sorting clerks and telegraphists at Armagh was raised from 38s. to 40s. a week in accordance with the recommendations of the Tweedmouth Committee.