§ 65. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked what was the average number per 100 unestablished telephone employés of vacancies in the established service for the years 1910 and 1911, and how many promotions have been made from unestablished to established positions in the course of the current year?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELProgress from the unestablished to the established class of telephonists is not a matter of promotion, but takes place automatically after the completion of two years satisfactory service.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSWill the right hon. Gentleman answer my question and give me the average number of vacancies per 100?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELAll the telephonists are to be established after two years. If the hon. Member refers to any ether class of employés, perhaps he will put a question down.
67. Mr. MONTAGUE BARLOWasked the total number of supervisors, assistant supervisors Class 1, and assistant supervisors Class 2, employed in the General Post Office Telephone Department at the present date, and the number of ex National Telephone Company's officers appointed supervisors, assistant supervisors Class 1, and assistant-supervisors Class 2?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe total number of officers at present borne on these three classes is 868, of whom 567 are officers transferred from the National Telephone Company.
Mr. BARLOWAre all those transferred from the National Telephone Company in 475 these classes being employed at the present time on work of a similar character to that they did under the company?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELYes, Sir; I think so.
68. Mr. BARLOWasked the Postmaster-General, in view of the fact that he has promised to the 1,174 officers transferred from the late National Telephone Company, who have been placed into grades where they already exceed the maxima, that they should retain the maxima paid by the National Telephone Company for the duties which they are now performing, if it is intended that officers subsequently promoted to those duties shall receive the same National Telephone Company's maxima as the 1,174 officers now performing those duties, or is it his intention to have these officers perform duties at a less rate of salary than that paid by the National Telephone Company?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe maxima announced by the National Telephone Company will be recognised by the Post Office only in the case of those officers who were at the time of transfer actually borne upon the classes concerned.
§ 69. Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSasked the Postmaster-General, if he will state the approximate number of men, and their average years of service, who were taken over from the late National Telephone Company, and who have been, or will be, called upon to sign an application which contains a statement that the applicant, having been selected for employment as an unskilled labourer, is aware that his services may be discontinued without notice; and that his employment does not give him any claim to an appointment, or entitle him to promotion, to compensation under the Superannuation Acts for loss of office, or to pension?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe form to which reference is made is the one ordinarily signed by persons accepting positions as labourer in the Post Office Engineering Department. It was not intended that officers transferred from the National Telephone Company should sign such a form; and if they have been required to do so in any district, this has been the result of inadvertence. As, however, they are subject to the conditions of employment of the class in which they are placed the signing of the form will not affect their position in any way.
§ Mr. JOYNSON-HICKSIf I can show the right hon. Gentleman that men have been asked to sign these papers, will he stop the practice?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELCertainly. It must have been done inadvertently.
§ Mr. CLYNESWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the desirability of withdrawing the offensive term "unskilled" in connection with this form?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI do not know whether it is offensive, but I will consider the point.
71. Mr. FRED HALL (Dulwich)asked the Postmaster-General whether an application was made in August for the telephone to be fitted to Ripon Lodge Nursing Home, Dulwich; whether a promise was made that the same should be installed within ten days; whether, after repeated application, intimation has been given that the same cannot be fitted for at least six months; and if, in consequence of the necessity of such an institution being connected, he will take steps to have the installation fitted without further delay?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI find that the agreement was signed on 13th September last, but the completion of the work has been unavoidably delayed through the necessity for providing new underground plant in the district. The work will probably be completed in about three weeks time.
§ 73. Mr. CLYNESasked the number of officers transferred from the late National Telephone Company, and who were classified by the late National Telephone Company as either chief operator, monitor supervisor, or clerk-in-charge, and who have now been classified by the Department as telephonist with supervising allowance?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe number is 129.