§ MR. CATHCART WASON (Orkney and Shetland)I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether, seeing that the Post Office decided in 1905 to give telegraphists employed on foreign cables, and who lived in towns outside London, an allowance of 2s. per week, and that the staff employed at Lerwick and who work the foreign cable to the Faröe Islands, and have acquired a knowledge of the Danish language in order to increase their efficiency, have not received the allowance, steps will be taken to give it to them.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONThe allowance referred to is granted to telegraphists who spend the whole or a great portion of their attendance at foreign wires. At Lerwick there is but one foreign wire, and it is not possible to limit the attendance at this wire to one or two sorting clerks and telegraphists. The whole staff take the duty in turn, and the time spent on it by each individual telegraphist is not sufficient to justify the payment of an allowance.