§ MR. BELL (Derby)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he is aware that a petition was recently forwarded by the London branch of the Postal Telegraph Clerks' Association, on behalf of the junior section of its members, with a request that the reply might be communicated to the secretary of that organisation, and that the branch secretary has now been informed that, as the matter referred to in the petition does not directly concern himself, the reply cannot be communicated to him; and whether, in view of the repeated assurances given to this House that Post Office employees enjoy all the rights of 1451 combination, he will direct that the reply he forwarded to the elected officer of the organisation presenting it.
§ THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN, Worcestershire, E.)The facts are as stated in the first paragraph of the Question. The Postmaster General has repeatedly announced that, whilst he is ready to receive representations under proper conditions from any servants of the Department on matters in which they are themselves directly concerned, he is unable to entertain representations made by any person on behalf of another unless the interests of both are substantially the same. He is not prepared to depart from this position; and no question as to the right of "combination" appears to be involved.