§ MR. NANNETTII beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, if he will state what, compared with the Dublin sorting clerks and telegraphists, were the special qualifications of Messrs. Hawkins and O'Donnell, imported from Queenstown and Derry respectively, to fill supervising clerkships in the Dublin 201 sorting office, and whether service in provincial offices like those named is held to make an official more capable of supervising in Dublin than men trained in the Dublin office; whether Messrs. Hawkins and O'Donnell passed a competitive examination; and is he aware that some of the Dublin officials passed over went through either a limited or open competitive examination.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINI have already informed the hon. Member that Messrs. Hawkins and O'Donnell were appointed by the Postmaster General to their present positions at the Dublin Sorting Office because they were, in his opinion, better fitted to perform the required duties than any of the officers then in that office. I can add nothing to this answer. Messrs. Hawkins and O'Donnell did not enter the service by competitive examination. The Postmaster General is aware that some of the sorting clerks and telegraphists now in Dublin entered by competitive examination.
§ MR. NANNETTIIs the hon. Gentleman aware that both of these gentlemen who were supposed to have such superior knowledge had only been in the service two years, and that they took precedence over men who had served all their lives?
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe mere fact of being in the service does not necessarily show competence to perform certain duties. I have stated the qualifications of these gentlemen.
§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI suppose they are Unionists.