§ 24. Mr. WIGNALLasked the Secretary of State for War whether a general Regi- 186 mental Order No. 6,128 laid it down that, in order to economise in signal personnel, all signal offices, below divisional corps, would be closed entirely between 22.00 hours and 08.00 hours daily; whether on. the night of the 5th –6th instant, owing to pressure between the Paris Bourse and London, certain military telegraphists were compelled to staff the baudot for ordinary press traffic beyond 22.00 hours; whether this work represents revenue-producing traffic, the charges for which are collected by the Post Office in France and England; and whether he will arrange for this civilian work to be performed by non-military telegraphists at the ordinary; trade union rate?
Captain GUESTI am informed that the statements contained in the first three parts of the hon. Member's question are correct. The matter has already been taken up with the General Post Office wit ha view to the discontinuance of the employment of military personnel on such, work in future.