§ MR. SLOANI beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to thefts from the cloak room in the Belfast sorting office, and to the fact that compensation has been refused, although the property stolen had been entrusted to the keeping of the postal authorities in terms of the regulations; and will he state why a lock provided by the sorting staff with the consent of the Postmaster was removed from the cloak room door by the department.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINTwo cases were reported in October last in which a coat was alleged to have been stolen from the sorters' retiring room at the Belfast post office; but though full inquiry was made no trace of the coat or of the thief could be found Some of the staff are provided with small lockers, and more will be supplied during the present year. The staff are allowed to leave coats, etc., in their retiring rooms; but the Department undertakes no liability in respect of articles so left. The lock referred to was put on the retiring room door by the staff in 1893; but it had to be removed recently, because some members of the staff refused to provide themselves with keys.