§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Postmaster-General if he will state why paragraph 107 of the Report of the Select Committee on Post Office Servants, which specifically mentions overseers, sorters, and telegraphists, has only been carried out as far as a few of the telegraphists are concerned; and, as the other officers affected have fulfilled the conditions governing the recommendation in every respect, whether he will now apply the recommendation to them also?
The HON. MEMBERfurther asked whether the recommendation contained in paragraph 107 of the Report of the Select Committee on Post Office servants is one vitally affecting the remuneration of the officers to whom it refers; and why, 2084W in these circumstances, the recommendation has not been fully carried out, in view of the right hon. Gentleman's repeated assurances to this House and to the Post Office servants that all recommendations affecting remuneration would be adopted?
§ Mr. SYDNEY BUXTONI will answer these two questions together. As I stated in reply to a question put to me in this House on 25th May last, the position of the telegraphists who had been employed in the Engineer-in-Chief's Department differed from that of the overseers, sorters and telegraphists who had not been so employed. The recommendation in question is one affecting administration rather than remuneration, and as I have previously stated in this House I reserved to myself liberty to adopt, modify or reject recommendations of the Committee with respect to questions of administration; and I have already explained the reasons which actuated me in coming to the decision I did in reference to this particular recommendation.
§ Mr. STEADMANasked the Postmaster-General if he will grant a Return of the number of men afforded a half-holiday solely as the result of the abrogation of the Tweedmouth duty allowance?
The HON. MEMBERalso asked whether, in view of the assurance that the sole reason for the abrogation of the Tweed-mouth allowance for extended duties was to give effect to the Hobhouse Committee's recommendations for a weekly half-holiday, he will state how he proposes to deal with the sorters in the foreign section who, since 31st March, 1908, have given from 40 to 90 hours in excess of their attendance (calculated under the Tweed-mouth scale) who have not up to the present been approached on the subject of a half-holiday.
§ Mr. SYDNEY BUXTONThe Return asked for would not appear to answer any useful purpose, and would entail considerable labour and expense in its preparation A weekly half-holiday is granted so far as circumstances permit. The duties of those sorters who work more than 16 hours in 48 on certain days are in some cases arranged so as to give them a complete day's holiday once a fortnight. In other cases they have short hours of work on other days of the week. I am inquiring whether there are cases in which some further concession can be made.
2085W
§ Mr. STEADMANasked the Postmaster-General whether, in view of the fact that he has stated his willingness to receive a deputation from any representative association of Post Office employés that had a grievance to lay before him, he is aware that the Returned Letter Office Assistants Association has recently made two applications for an interview with him on the question of vacancies to their class being filled by females, and that each application has been refused; and, seeing that this is damaging to their prospects of promotion, will he receive a deputation from this class to discuss their grievance?
§ Mr. SYDNEY BUXTONI am prepared to receive deputations in any case which is open to doubt, or where a discussion would appear to be advantageous. In the particular instance in question, however, it appeared that certain duties formerly performed by assistants in the Returned Letter Office were proper (and have long been considered proper) to the class of returners, and should be transferred to them.