§ Mr. NANNETTII beg to ask the Postmaster-General a question, of which I have given him private notice, whether it is a fact that he has withdrawn from the Irish Postal Clerks' Association that official recognition which they have hitherto enjoyed; whether he has ordered that no memorial or representation from the men's association in regard to their grievances are to he entertained; whether he has ordered the heads of departments not to see the men, not to answer their letters of complaint, and also not to let the usual notices appertaining to their organisation to be posted; whether he has not been aware that for many years the greatest misunderstanding has prevailed between the heads of the department and the staff, and whether, in view of the tension which now prevails, he persists in breaking up the men's organisation, which is the only channel open to them to bring their grievances before the public; and further, if the interference with the free and open discussion in the official organ of the Association is not an interference with the liberty of the Press?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Buxton)The facts are as stated in the first part of the question. Personal attacks on supervising officers, of a character that I could not overlook, have appeared from time to time in the official organ of the association in question. It has been necessary, therefore, to draw the 1592 attention of the Association to these articles, and to ask for an explanation. No explanation of a satisfactory nature was forthcoming. In these circumstances, and in existing conditions, there was no course open to me but, to my great regret, to decline to continue to extend official recognition to the I.P.C.A. It is, of course, open to the Association to reconsider their position. I must point out, in regard to the latter part of the question, that the non-recognition of the Association in no way interferes with the full right of any officer to bring before me any grievance that he desires me to consider.
§ Mr. NANNETTIIs not the complaint which is made against the Association that they have criticised the action of the officials placed over them, and that these articles have appeared in the official organ? And is it not within the right of those officials if they avail themselves of the courts to take the ordinary course of legal proceedings against them without depriving them of their civil rights?
§ Mr. SYDNEY BUXTONAs I have said, these were attacks in this paper, belonging to the Association, on supervising officers. I am sure there is no objection whatever to free criticism in regard to these matters, but they were of such a character that they really could not continue under those circumstances. As a matter of fact, I understand with regard to one of them the particular officer in question has brought an action.
§ Mr. W. REDMONDThis is a serious matter.
§ Mr. NANNETTIIn view of the serious step that is taken against a public organisation, will the right hon. Gentleman have copies of his letters and copies of the article laid on the Table of the House, so that an enquiry may be held into the whole matter?
Mr. DEPUTY-SPEAKERI must appeal to the House in regard to this matter. The question was never shown to me, and I have not seen it, and I do not think it is an urgent question.
§ Mr. W. REDMONDIt is.
§ Mr. NANNETTII went to the chair and showed you a newspaper containing a full account of the matter, and I showed you the question. You had not time to read them, of course, but I got your per- 1593 mission to take the steps I am taking. I feel it is such a serious matter to my Constituents that I believe it is my right to bring the question before the House.
§ Mr. W. REDMONDI beg to ask leave to move the adjournment of the House, in order to call attention to a matter of definite urgent public importance, namely, the action of the head of the Post Office Department in refusing to recognise the constitutionally established association of the Post Office employees in Ireland.
§ Mr. W. REDMONDI beg to give notice in consequence of the impossibility of raising this matter now that my hon. Friend and other Members will take the earliest opportunity of calling the attention of the Postmaster-General to this matter, and to urge upon him the view that the action which the Post Office has taken is likely to cause a great deal of dissatisfaction and disarrangement of the public service.