§ 71. Mr. RONALD M'NEILLasked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been called to the case of John Ells, who, after fifty-three years of continuous service as driver of the mails between Canterbury and Herne Bay, has lost his employment owing to the substitution of motors for horse-drawn vehicles for the carriage of the mails; whether he is aware that this man supported his widowed mother for thirty-two years, besides bringing up a family of fourteen children; and, seeing that after this long life of hard work and exposure in the public service Ells is without pension or recompense of any kind from the Government, whether he will undertake that suitable provision shall be made for this servant of the Government?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELMr. John Ells was not a Government servant but a contractor for the carriage of mails, and I regret that he is therefore not eligible for any grant out of public funds.
§ Mr. RONALD M'NEILLIs a man not eligible for any sort of recognition after a long life in the Government service as a contractor of this kind?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELContractors are not pensionable.