§ MR. T. P. O'CONNOR (Liverpool, Scotland)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the' Postmaster General, whether his attention has been directed to the manner in which vacancies in the clerks' class on the telegraph establishment at Liverpool have been filled recently; whether he is aware that, on the last occasion, a telegraphist, who has been passed over twice previously during the present year, received promotion, passing over twenty of his seniors; whether the men to whom promotion has been refused were warned of the intention of the department to ignore them, and whether the qualifications necessary for promotion were indicated clearly.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINIt is the fact that a sorting clerk and telegraphist, who has been passed over twice during the present year, has recently received promotion, passing over twenty of his seniors. The men passed over were not warned that there was an intention to ignore them, because there was no such intention. The promotions were made only after the fullest consideration of the claims and qualifications of each of the men concerned, and on the ground that the officer in question and the others who were promoted were the best qualified to fill the vacant posts.