§ MR. NANNETTI (Dublin, College Green)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether the Postmaster General is aware that in the telegraph branch of the post office, Dublin, of a staff of 212 sorting clerks and telegraphists employed, there are over forty at present at the maximum of their scale of pay; whether, having regard to the slowness in promotion in the telegraph branch of the post office as compared with the sorting branch, any steps are being taken in the revision of the Dublin establishment, at present under consideration, to remedy this state of affairs; whether it is being taken into account in this revision that the four London and Dublin news wire repeaters, which should be manned by officers of the rank of clerk, have been staffed by sorting clerks and telegraphists almost continuously for the past five years; and also whether it is contemplated to allocate clerkships for the Intelligence, Examining, Circulation, 82 and Correspondence sections, as has been done in Liverpool and other large centres.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINA revision of the telegraph staff of the Dublin Post Office is now under consideration. It will include such additional provision, if any, as may be found necessary for the duties referred to by the hon. Member. The number of superior appointments, however, must of course be strictly regulated by the requirements of the service, and no increase in them could be sanctioned merely in order to afford promotion to telegraphists who are at the maximum of their scale.