§ The following three Questions were put by—
MR. PATRICK O'BRIENTo ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is aware that Messrs. Arrd, Beatty, Bleech, O'Reilly, Harris, sorting clerks employed in the General Post Office, Dublin, received only 18s. per week starting pay, while Messrs. Mullen, O'Loughlin, Kelly, Daly, Walsh, Farrar, who entered the Dublin Office after the same examination, and under the same conditions, received 20s. per week; and whether, in view of the fact that the Tweedmouth recommendations did not refer to any of the above officers as future entrants under the new scheme outlined in their report, further inquiry will be instituted with a view of redressing the alleged grievances of the officers affected.
To ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, 1305 whether he is aware that the duty scheme introduced in the Dublin Sorting Office last April has not given effect, as intended, to the Tweedmouth recommendation, that officers performing split duties should have an interval of nine clear hours at their own homes, that since the introduction of this scheme there has been an increase in extra duties, and that almost all officers performing extra duties are called upon to give a triple attendance, and whether the Postmaster General would consider the making of an arrangement whereby a continuous eight hours attendance could be given.
To ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is aware that ten of the twenty-one officers employed on the Dublin and Queenstown T.P.O. receive a trippage allowance of but 3½d. per hour, while the remaining eleven obtain 7s. for every day or fraction thereof; that all are called upon to perform the same class of duties, and have to meet with the same expenses, and that the ten officers travelling at reduced trippage allowance have stated by memorial that it is insufficient; and is he aware that on a certain occasion the expenditure to barely sustain exceeded the allowance, and will he state whether the Postmaster General refused to be personally interviewed by two of their number, and if it is intended to remedy in any way the alleged grievance.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN, Worcestershire, E.)I will cause an answer to these questions to be sent to the hon. Member.