§ MR. W. THORNE (West Ham, S.)I beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he will carry out paragraph 353 of the Hobhouse Committee's Report as to the diminution of overtime by sanctioning additional established posts in the Post Office, and thus do something to relieve the unemployed.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON,) Tower Hamlets, PoplarThe policy recommended by the 1405 recent Select Committee on Post Office I Wages in paragraph 353 of their Report, in regard to the reduction of overtime, with which I am entirely in accord, is being steadily pursued.
§ MR. W. THORNEI beg to ask the Postmaster - General whether it would be possible to employ a number of additional men in the Post Office were all postmen's duties confined to not more than two attendances and completed within twelve hours; and, if so, whether he will issue instructions to amend the regulations in the above-mentioned direction.
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONIt would not be possible, without a considerable waste of force, to arrange for all postmen's duties to be confined to not more than two attendances and completed within twelve hours. This fact was recognised by the recent Select Committee on Post Office Servants. In arranging duties endeavours are always made to reduce the number of separate attendances as far as practicable, and considerable steps in this direction have been taken of late.