§ Mr. MARTINasked the Postmaster-General whether his attention has been drawn to a memorial addressed to him from the Postal Telegraph Clerks' Association regarding the methods of selection for promotion in the Central Telegraph Office, which was returned in the first instance by the secretary to the Post Office on the grounds that the subject matter had not been represented locally before appeal was made to the Postmaster-General, and in the second instance on the grounds that the representations which had been made could not be regarded as an effort to secure a full discussion of the 1503W matter locally; and whether, in view of the fact that this matter had been fully represented to the Controller of the Central Telegraph Office, the Postmaster-General will inquire into the circumstances in order that the right of associations to appeal to him may be maintained?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELIn the case referred to by the hon. Member no representations of a nature which could possibly be regarded as complying with the Regulations were made to the Controller of the Central Telegraph Office before the memorial was submitted to me, and it was therefore necessary, in accordance with the procedure established by my predecessor, after consultation with the associations representing the staff, to regard the memorial as irregular. The right of appeal by the associations to the Post-master-General is in no way affected.
§ Mr. MARTINasked the Postmaster-General whether, having regard to the fact that the accounts work connected with the intelligence duty in the Central Tele- 1504W graph Office is to be transferred, for purposes of economy to another department where female labour only is employed, he will consider, with a view to effecting further economies, the transference of the work at present allocated to the telegraph traffic section of the secretary's office to the Central Telegraph Office, to which office this work incidentally relates and where the duties of the traffic sections are performed on many occasions?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe hon. Member is probably referring to an arrangement whereby—when the staff of the secretary's office are not in attendance—news agencies are allowed to send urgent lists of addresses and additions thereto to the Central Telegraph Office direct. It would not be economical, and I do not think it would be advisable to transfer the work of giving notice with regard to special preparations to the Central Telegraph Office. It affects a large number of offices which are not subordinate to that office.