HC Deb 06 November 1919 vol 120 cc1662-4
27 Mr. HAYDAY

asked the Postmaster-General (1) whether he is aware that the Union of Press Telegraphists have secured an agreement with the principal newspaper proprietors, whereby a minimum wage of £4 per week is paid; whether he is aware that the Press Association propose to introduce their own apparatus for the transmission of news between London and the provinces, and that their proposals are based upon the employment of men who have been pensioned from the Post Office and on junior lowly-paid labour; whether he is prepared to submit the superannuation paid to Post Office servants to be used to undercut the agreed rates of wages for Press telegraphists and also to enter into active competition with his own it Department;

(2) whether, under the Telegraph Acts, the right to use telegraph wires for paid work is solely vested in the Postmaster-General; whether, in these circumstances, he will make careful inquiry as to the scheme whereby the Press Association propose to enter into active competition with his Department;

(3) whether, as the head of the Post Office, he is prepared to submit to any attempt to denationalise the postal telegraph service as a State monopoly; and, if not, whether he will issue instructions to all his principal officials that any scheme having for its object active competition with the rights of the Postmaster-General must be resisted to the uttermost?

30 Mr. T. GRIFFITHS

asked the Postmaster-General (1) whether he is aware that an advertisement has recently appeared in the Press inviting applications for telegraphists and learners for the Wheatstone-Creed system between London and newspaper offices in the provinces; whether he is aware that these advertisements refer to the extension of the activities of the Press Association whereby it is hoped to nullify the proposed increase in charges sanctioned by his Department; whether the scheme provides for the employment of Post Office pensioners in order that the competing service may secure experienced labour at a cheap rate; whether, in. the interests of the national service, he will take steps to prevent pensioned Civil servants from utilising their superannuation benefits in such a manner;

(2) whether he is aware that on the 1st January next or at the earliest possible date thereafter the Press Association proposes to introduce a scheme which is designed to divert the transmission of Press work from the hands of the national telegraph service; whether the scheme has in contemplation the employment of a force of 400 telegraphists; whether an ex-official of the Post Office Department has been endeavouring to persuade established Post Office telegraphists to leave the employment of the State in order that the competitive scheme, designed to nullify the higher Press rates necessary to the working of the Post Office telegraph service, may be provided with efficient operators; whether be is aware that it is proposed to employ pensioned telegraphists at low rates to supervise the whole of this work; whether this scheme has the sanction of his Department;

(3) whether he is aware that Mr. John Newlands, who recently retired from the position of Controller of the Central Telegraph Office, has been appointed telegraph adviser to the Press Association; whether Mr. Newlands is responsible for the scheme whereby the Press Association proposes to undercut the State telegraph service in the transmission of news matter; and whether he will give the matter his immediate attention with a view to this state of affairs being terminated?

The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. Illingworth)

I have agreed to lease certain wires to the Press Association for the transmission of news upon the same terms as have been applied for many years past to wires leased to newspapers. The Association will supply and work the apparatus. No question as to competition with the public telegraph service can arise. On the contrary, the Post Office will, I hope, be relieved of a considerable amount of unremunerative traffic and will at the same time secure a reasonable rental for the wires which it provides. I have no control over the rates of pay offered by the Press Association to their employés, and there is no evidence that the established Post Office staff are being attracted into their service. I believe the late. Controller of the Central Telegraph Office has accepted employment with the Association. There are no restrictions as to the occupations which pensioned Post Office servants may engage in on their retirement from the public service.

Mr. GRIFFITHS

Has the right hon. Gentleman any power to deal with the superannuation of officials?

Mr. ILLINGWORTH

No. When they leave the service they are free.