§ MR. DELANYI beg to ask the Postmaster-General if his attention has been drawn to complaints with reference to the treatment meted out to his employees in the Dublin office; is he aware that the annual increments of several officers have recently been stopped for such offences as a hasty word over the wire to a clerk of equal rank; was it with his sanction that an officer has been fined £5 4s. who had not a single late attendance in the course of a year, and who only had five minor irregularities in the year's work; is he aware that such an officer would have been granted his increment quite readily a few years ago; and whether, in the interests of contentment and goodwill amongst all classes in the postal service, he will take steps to secure a cessation of such treatment.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONI have no reason to think that the post office staff at Dublin is treated differently from the staff at other offices, or that the present treatment is different from that accorded in the past. The annual increments of certain officers at Dublin were recently withhold because they had committed serious irregularities, precluding the grant of the necessary certificate of a year's approved service. The particular officer who appears to be referred to is one of these. He was not fined, but in view of his record his increment of 2s. a week could not be allowed in ordinary course. He appealed to me, and I personally considered his appeal, and confirmed the decision.