§ Mr. NEWMANasked whether the right hon. Gentleman's attention has been called to a resolution passed by the Dublin Corporation on the 12th instant strongly deprecating the employment of ex-soldiers in the post and telegraph Services to the detriment of the efficient working of such Services; whether such resolution has been transmitted to him; and whether the inefficiency of any ex-soldier has recently been reported on in the Dublin postal districts?
§ Mr. BRADYalso asked whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that dissatisfaction exists in his Department in Ireland in consequence of the continued practice of employing soldiers and ex-soldiers to discharge duties ordinarily belonging to officials in the postal and telegraph Services; and, if so, will he state what action he proposes to take?
§ Mr. NANNETTIIs not the complaint of the Dublin Corporation against the excessive employment of ex-military men to take the place of civilians in the Dublin postal districts?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe hon. Member will find his anticipatory question answered in my reply. I have seen the resolution referred to by the hon. Member for Enfield. Ex-soldiers are employed in Ireland as in other parts of the United Kingdom as postmen and, after service in the Royal Engineers, upon telegraph or engineering duties. Soldiers still serving with the colours are employed on Post Office work in Ireland only in the case of Royal Engineers, who for very many years have been so employed in different parts of the United Kingdom in order that they may have the advantage of continuous practical training. These arrangements have always worked satisfactorily, and I have no recent evidence of any kind to show that they are detrimental to the efficient working of the Services.
§ Mr. P. J. BRADYIs it not a fact that the employment of ex-soldiers or soldiers as telegraphists was primarily resorted to in the summer season as overtime, and has not the practice adopted in the summer time now been perpetuated during the whole year?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELNo, Sir. There are certain ex-soldier telegraphists engaged as auxiliary telegraphists in the summer in times of pressure in certain places, but their employment is on a very small scale and only a few are engaged. Not only ex-soldiers but others are engaged. The ex-soldiers are mostly those who form the K Company of the Royal Engineers who for many years, long before the time of the present Government, have been regularly employed in civilian service in the Post Office doing the work of ordinary civilians in order that they may have the advantage of continuous practical training.
§ Mr. MOOREIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that these remonstrances against the employment of soldiers and ex-soldiers in the Post Office is only part of the Nationalist campaign against Irishmen in the Army?
Mr. WILLIAM REDMONDHas the right hon. Gentleman's attention been called to the fact that there is a good deal of dissatisfaction in Ireland, not at the employment of ex-soldiers as such, but at the employment of people who are in receipt of pensions at a time when there are so many unemployed who have no means at all?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELPractically all the ex-soldiers employed as postmen, porters, and so forth are not pensioners.
§ Mr. WILLIAM O'BRIENWill the right hon. Gentleman say whether the employment of these ex-soldiers does or does not injure the civilian employés?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThere has been no recent change. The number of soldiers and ex-soldiers in the employment of the Post Office remains, for all practical purposes, the same as it has been for many years past.
§ Mr. SPEAKERFurther questions on this subject had better be put on the Paper.