§ MR. SCHWANN (Manchester, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether the Treasury and the Post Office have at length decided upon putting the female employees, who were compulsorily taken over by the Post Office from the National Telephone Company in Liverpool and elsewhere, on the establishment of the Post Office, seeing that they have been prejudiced as regards wages by the compulsory transfer, and that this matter has been awaiting settlement for about five years.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINYes. The Postmaster General, with the concurrence of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, has sanctioned a scheme for placing on the establishment of the Post Office efficient telephone operators employed by the Department; and steps are being taken to carry out the scheme at an early date in the Liverpool post office and elsewhere. There is, however, no foundation for the statement that any female operators were taken over compulsorily from the National Telephone Company.