HC Deb 09 May 1901 vol 93 cc1170-1
MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM (Cork County, N.E.)

I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he can state the number of medical gentlemen to whom circular letters were sent in June, 1900, inviting formal application for the post of medical officer to the Fermoy Post Office, and how many such applications were made in response; whether the gentleman who has been appointed was invited to apply for the post last June; and, if not, on what date were fresh circulars issued, and how many medical gentlemen were invited to send in fresh applications.

MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN

The district surveyor made known in June, 1900, to all the medical gentlemen resident in Fermoy, the total number of whom appears to be four, that there was a vacancy for a medical officer to the post office, and applications were received from two of them only. The gentleman who has been appointed was one of those to whom notice of the vacancy was sent in June, 1900, and no fresh notices have been issued since that date.

MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM

Can the hon. Gentleman say why this gratuitous insult has been offered to two medical gentlemen, and who is responsible for it?

*MR. SPEAKER

Order, order! The hon. Member is not entitled to ask why a "gratuitous insult" has been offered. Such a question would not be allowed on the Paper.

MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM

Well, I will ask, then, who is responsible for the decision arrived at with regard to the two applications made in June in response to a circular issued to these gentlemen?

MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN

The Postmaster General is responsible. I may remind the hon. Member that nothing would have been said about this matter, or about the qualifications of these gentlemen, unless he had put the questions in this House.

MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM

In reply to that, I beg to say that no steps whatever were taken to fill this vacancy, for which applications were issued in June last, until I put the questions down. And, Sir, further—

*MR. SPEAKER

Order, order! I have allowed the hon. Member to make a short statement in reply to the statement of the Secretary to the Treasury, but he cannot go on and argue it.

MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM

I will put another question down on the subject.