§ Mr. THURTLE(by Private Notice) asked the Postmaster-General whether the driver of the General Post Office mail van which was abandoned in Upper Charles Street on Saturday last, and from which mail bags were stolen, had been retained by the contractors, Messrs. Macnamaras, after temporary service during the general strike, at the request of his Department; and if, in view of the important nature of the work of driving General Post Office mail vans, he will advise these contractors that they should, for work of this character, give employment to those men of proved reliability who were not re-engaged after the general strike?
§ The POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Sir William Mitchell-Thomson)After the general strike, a certain number of temporary drivers who had been employed by the Post Office during its course, were desirous of permanent employment. The names of these men, who apparently included the driver in question, were given by the Post Office to the contractors, who took them into their service. Under the terms of the contract, however, the responsibility for the engagement or dismissal of drivers rests entirely with the contractors.
§ Mr. THURTLEDoes the right hon. Gentleman think it worth while endangering the safety of His Majesty's mails by adopting a vindictive attitude towards men who went on strike?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI do not think I can let that observation pass without saying that this is, if not the first, almost the first occasion in the history of the Post Office in which it has ever been suggested that a mail-van driver has betrayed his trust.
Mr. BECKETTMay I suggest to the right hon. Gentleman that a man who is not honest to his own mates is not likely to be honest to the Department?
§ Mr. R. MORRISONCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the loss, which will have to be borne by someone, will be borne by the Post Office or by the contractors?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONI think, as regards liability, that the position of the Post Office and its servants and agents is defined in the Regulations. If there is any question of the exact legal liability, that should be put only after due notice.