§ MR. GEORGE ROBERTS (Norwich)I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that at Norwich there are four men who have been assistant postmen for over four years; that there are also a number of telegraph messengers some of whom are about twenty years of age and are regularly employed, with very short intervals, on full-time postmen's duties, and who, by not being given assistant postmen's certificates, are rendered ineligible for established appointments; whether he is also aware that telegraph messengers of seventeen years of age are sometimes 84 employed on night duties contrary to regulation; that, when the assistant postmen desired to petition the surveyor for appointments, they were persuaded to withdraw their appeal by the inspector saying that to do so would prejudice the position of the telegraph messengers; and whether, seeing that the telegraph messengers referred to are employed doing postmen's work at the rate of 4d. an hour, and that this system has been in existence for some years, he will take steps to give these assistant postmen and telegraph messengers appointments at an early date.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONI will make inquiry concerning this matter and communicate with the hon. Member.