§ Mr. BECKERasked the Postmaster-General if his attention has been called to the grave dissatisfaction which exists amongst the staff in the Norwich post office; if he is aware that a number of female telegraphists have been removed from their telegraph duties and allocated to the telephone department, and that these telegraphists have been placed under the supervision of a telephonist, thus being placed under the charge of one lower in seniority, rank, status, and pay than themselves, whilst telegraph supervisors remain redundant in the telegraph department; and will he inquire into this particular case and similar cases in all parts of the country where unskilled Post Office servants are being placed in authority over higher grade servants?
§ Mr. HARTSHORNOwing to shrinkage of telegraph work, it has been necessary to find alternative employment for some of the Norwich female telegraph staff. Such employment was fortunately available in the phonogram room, where the officers in question come under the supervision of the telephone supervising staff. I do not see that the arrangement, which is of a purely temporary nature, gives reasonable cause for complaint. The supervising staff in the phonogram room are fully qualified for the duties which they have to perform, and I cannot accept the implication at the end of the question.