§ SIR GEORGE NEWNES (Swansea Town)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether his attention has been called to the case of a sorting clerk at Swansea of ten years standing, promoted recently over the heads of telegraph clerks with services ranging from twelve to twenty-four years service; whether the sorting clerk has been passed over in his own department; and whether the Postmaster General can state the reasons which led to this promotion.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN,) Worcestershire, E.The case to which the hon. Member refers is presumably that of Mr. A. E. Samuel, who was recently promoted from the rank of sorting clerk and telegraphist on the postal side of the Swansea office to a clerkship, the duties of which are 920 partly postal and partly telegraph. Mr. Samuel was certified to be the best qualified officer on the whole class of sorting clerks and telegraphists, and he is fully competent to perform the duties, both postal and telegraph, of the post to which he has been promoted. It is true that he had been on one occasion passed over for promotion on the postal side, there being at the time among the juniors one officer who was better qualified.