§ Mr. FIELDasked the Postmaster-General, with reference to the number of special increments granted to Second Division clerks employed in the Post Office, whether his attention has been called to the fact that while 10 of the total of 122 granted in 1905 were awarded to Second Division clerks serving in Dublin, only one of the total of 47 granted in 1909 was so awarded; whether only one officer was recommended this year from Dublin as having rendered exceptionally meritorious service; and, if not, whether he will endeavour to obtain the grant of further special increments now to any other officers recommended, in order that the staff may not be discouraged by the apparent breach of the promise, implied in Clause 4 of the Order in Council of 29th May, 1905, that exceptionally meritorious service, which cannot be rewarded by promotion in the ordinary course, will be recognised by the grant of special increments?
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§ Mr. BUXTONWhen the practice of granting special increments to exceptionally meritorious Second Division clerks was introduced in 1905 a considerable number of claims had, of course, to be dealt with; but those claims have been gradually reduced, and in the present year the circumstances were not considered to warrant the grant of a special increment to more than one of the comparatively small number of Second Division clerks in Dublin.