§ MR. J. WARD (Stoke-on-Trent)I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he has had his attention drawn to cases of interference of the postmaster at the Congletion Post Office with the postmen and officers under him; whether he is aware that the postmaster has issued orders that no wages are to be paid till after 5 p.m., and that some of the officers have not received their wages till after 9 p.m. on Saturdays; whether he is aware that the same postmaster has issued orders for absolute silence in the postmen's room, and has threatened to deprive one of his officers of a stripe for talking to fellow workmen when waiting for his round, and that the same officer has been cautioned that he will have his increment and stripes arrested if he is found wearing his cap in the office; and whether he will take any, and, if any, what action in the matter. I beg also to ask the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to a complaint of the sub-postmaster at Biddulph; that he accepted the sub-postmastership on condition that he received the same scale of pay as his predecessors; and that the scale has since been reduced 30s. by the Congleton postmaster, who also ordered the sub-postmaster at Biddulph to dismiss a man, who was performing his duty satisfactorily, at once without notice or reason assigned; and that this man has since been reappointed at a reduced rate, and has now to perform a round of eight and a half miles on six mornings each week for 6s. per week; and whether he will cause inquiries to be made into the treatment of the workers in this district of his Department, and take steps to pay proper wages for the service they render.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON,) Tower Hamlets, PoplarI am making inquiry respecting the matters referred to in the hon. Member's Question and will communicate the result to him.