§ Mr. BAKERasked the Postmaster-General what is, in the present circumstances, the standard normally held to justify the existence of a salaried office; and whether he will state the precise considerations which led him to set aside the standard laid down by a Select Committee of the House of Commons?
§ Mr. HARTSHORNThe existence of a salaried sub-office is not regarded as justified if the emoluments of the office on a scale payment basis would be less than £250 in the Provinces or £500 in London. When the emoluments exceed this figure, local circumstances must be taken into account. The conversion of scale payment offices with remuneration exceeding these amounts into salaried sub-offices has not been generally proceeded with during the last few years, as the cost of conversion would, as a rule, be out of all proportion to the benefit accruing to the public.