§ MR. NANNETTI (Dublin, College Green)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he will state the number of vacancies existing in the class of superintendents, assistant superintendents, and clerks attached to the sorting office, General Post Office, Dublin; whether he is aware that two positions on the class of superintendents, namely, that of chief clerk to Controller, and that of sub-accounting officer, vacated by the reduction of two officials for irregularities in connection with the Corcoran defalcations, have recently been filled by the promotion of two officials from the surveyor's branch over the heads of officers of the sorting department; whether these promotions are due to statements made by the present Controller when on his defence in the Corcoran ease, to the effect that he had no officials in his establishment competent to fill the higher positions; and whether, having regard to the fact that the present Controller and one of the officers concerned in the case are importations, it is the intention to again apply the principle of promoting officials from provincial and English offices.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThere are in the sorting office, Dublin, at the present time one vacancy for an assistant superintendent and several on the clerks' list. The two vacancies to which the hon. Member refers, and which were filled by the appointment of officers from outside the Dublin sorting office, were two which existed on the 931 class of superintendents. One of the officers only was from the surveying establishment, the other being from the circulation department in London. These were so filled because the officers selected were considered to be better fitted to carry on the duties to be performed than any of the officers who would in ordinary course be considered as eligible for the appointments. The principles followed in making the promotions referred to are those which would be followed in similar circumstances at any other office of the Department.