§ MR. SWIFT MACNEILLI beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that in a number of smaller provincial head post offices duties exist that require telegraphists to make three separate attendances spread over fourteen or fifteen hours before completing their ordinary eight hours work per day; and whether he will state what steps are being taken to reduce these divided attendances in accordance with the assurance given by the Department before the Bradford Committee.
LORD STANLEYI am aware that such is the case, and I can only repeat the statement made by the official witness before the Bradford Committee, that "every effort is made to arrange the hours of duty as conveniently as possible, but they must necessarily be adapted to the requirements of the work and broken and irregular hours are often unavoidable." It is, however, the rule that the 1132 duties should be arranged to admit of nine clear hours off duty.