§ MR. JOHN WARD (Stoke-on-Trent)I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether Mr. J.W. Crawford, an assistant-controller in the London postal service, receives a salary of £800 per annum from the Department; whether this is the same person who acts as auditor to the Provident Clerks and General Mutual Life Assurance Association, for whose services the sum of £210 appears in the Association's balance-sheet for 1907; and, if so, whether the duties of assistant-controller are of such a character as to leave ample time for this officer properly to attend to his private practice, or does the Postmaster-General grant the assistant-controller special leave for that purpose.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONThe facts are as stated by my hon. friend, except that the remuneration of £210 is divided among three auditors. The duties of auditor to the Association in no way interfere with Mr. Crawford's official 1263 duties, nor make demands upon his official time.
§ MR. JOHN WARDIs special leave granted to this official for this purpose?
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONThe information I have is that his duties as auditor in no way interfere with his official duties.
§ MR. JOHN WARDThe do I understand that a controller in the London postal service has sufficient spare time to attend to the business of a society with an income of £1,500,000?
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONI can only repeat my Answer, that the efficient discharge of his official duties is not interfered with.