§ MR. E. EDWARDS (Hanley)To ask the Postmaster-General if he is aware that on the occasion of a mass meeting of Catholics at Hanley on April 23rd, clerks in the Hanley office were not notified of alterations in their time of attendance until the afternoon of the same day, one officer who had already performed 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. being informed at his residence only a few minutes before leaving home for the original second portion of his duty; and, seeing that this action is a contravention of official rulings 848 ticulars requested in the second part of the Question:—;
| Port. | Number of days during the 12 months ended 31st March 1906 on which assistants of Customs were employed on examining officers' duties |
| Leith | 224 |
| Glasgow | 206 |
| Bristol | 72† |
§ At these ports the employment of assistants on superior duties was mainly due to an abnormal amount of sick leave and special absence constituting a time of exceptional pressure or emergency, as referred to on page ten of the Goschen Minute. It may be added that on certain days more than one assistant was employed on superior duty, the aggregate number of days, calculated at eight hours per day, being as follows:—;
§ regarding due notice being given whenever possible of alterations of duty, whether he will say what action he proposes to take.
§
(Answered by Mr. Sydney Buxton.) I will make inquiry into the matter.
† In addition, one assistant performs for three hours each day duties which are usually undertaken by an examining officer, second class.
‡The Board's attention having been called to the position at Leith, aid was sent some weeks ago.