§ 4. Mr. CHARLES CRAIGasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware of the feeling of discontent existing amongst the Belfast postal staff, particularly the supervising classes, at the system of promotion in operation at that office; if he has received representations recently from officers passed over for promotion; if he has had the cases specially investigated by an independent officer, as provided by the regulations; if not, will he have this done, in view of the fact that the staff have no confidence in the officers responsible for the promotions; and is he aware that an officer of over thirty years' service recently threw up his position and forfeited his pension rights, whilst another officer has applied for another position at less salary, owing to the feeling of in- 1230 security respecting his position in the Belfast service?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Herbert Samuel)I have from time to time received representations from officers who have been passed over for promotion at Belfast. These have been fully investigated, and I have no reason to doubt that the system of selection at that office results in the promotion of the best qualified officers. Every officer who is passed over can demand an interview with the surveyor of the district. I am aware that an overseer on the postal side at Belfast recently resigned to go abroad, but his reasons for doing so appear to have been entirely domestic. The other officer referred to is understood to have applied for a postmastership in Scotland, solely with a view to improving his wife's health by a change of climate.