§ MR. JAMES O'CONNORI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he will inquire into the case of town postman Eastell, of Colchester, who, on 23rd November, 1898, was deprived of a stripe for an offence which he denied having committed; is he aware that, although the Tweedmouth Committee recommended the restoration of a stripe after a lapse of two years, this man's stripe was only restored on the 1st April, 1901; what was the reason for so withholding it; and will the stripe pay which would have been received by him between November, 1900, and April, 1901, had the Committee's recommendation been acted upon, be now paid to this postman.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe Postmaster General is aware that postman Eastell was deprived of a good-conduct stripe in 1898 for misconduct, and that the stripe was not restored until April last. The Tweedmouth Committee did not recommend that stripes so taken away should be restored in two years. Two years is the minimum period which must elapse before a stripe can be restored. There is no intention of allowing Eastell stripe pay for the period between November, 1900, and April, 1901.