§ Mr. HILLSasked whether any increase in the proportion of telegraph messenger boys provided with permanent employment in the Post Office has taken place since the investigation conducted for the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws; and what was the total number discharged during 1908?
The HON MEMBERalso asked if the suggestion made by the investigator to the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws, Mr. Cyril Jackson, that the length of the messengers' period of service should be increased so as to prevent the necessity for discharges has been considered; and what valid objection is there to such readjustment as would put the boys in the position of apprenticeship, so that, as in the skilled trades, only such numbers are admitted as will supply the adult service?
§ Mr. BUXTONAs the hon. Gentleman is aware, the difficulty which confronts the 657 Post Office in regard to their boy messengers—to which I have more than once called public attention—arises from two facts. On the one hand, the public increasingly demand services of a nature which is suitable for boys. On the other hand, under an arrangement of many years' standing, made by the Government of the day, half the postmen and assistant postmen places have to be allocated to ex-soldiers or ex-sailors, instead of being available for the boy messengers. This, unfortunately, involves our parting each year with a considerable number of boys, as there are not sufficient openings in the Post Office service available for which they would be suited. The total number of boys so discharged during the year ended 31st March last was 4,300. The proportion of boy messengers who are provided with permanent employment in the Post Office is steadily increasing, and arrangements have recently been made whereby further openings to such employment will be available for them. The reason for parting with the boys at 16 instead of keeping them to a later age is that it appears easier for them to obtain outside employment at that age than if kept to a later age. The suggestions made by the Royal Commission and by others have received, and do receive, consideration; and I have lately been reviewing the question afresh, as I should much like to see my way still further to reduce the number of boy messengers whose services we are obliged to dispense with.
§ Mr. HILLSasked how many places in the various departments of the Post Office were filled by open competition during 1908; what reason is there to prevent the messenger boys being trained for these posts; what care is taken to obtain boys suitable for such training; and is the number stated by the Postmaster-General in his Memorandum to the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws to be discharged for idle and unsatisfactory habits due to bad selection at the beginning or to the effects of the messenger service?
§ Mr. BUXTONThe number of posts filled by open competition in the Post Office in 1908 would not assist the hon. Member, since a very large proportion of these are filled on qualifications entirely beyond the reach of telegraph messengers. Every care is taken to obtain boys of good character and some education; but it would not be feasible to recruit telegraph 658 messengers on qualifications high enough to ensure their usefulness in widely different employment later in life, and to enable the superior appointments from being recruited from them exclusively. The number of places open to them by limited competition has of late been increased. As regards the last sentence of the question. I do not for a moment admit that the selection of telegraph messengers is careless or that the effects of their employment are bad.