§ Mr. JOHN O'CONNORasked the Postmaster-General whether he is aware that Anne Salmon, of Naas, county Kildare, was examined by Mr. Hunt, the local postmaster at Naas, for the position of temporary telephonist, in view of subsequent permanent employment, and was passed and her appointment sanctioned on 23rd November, 1911, by Mr. Wedlake, assistant surveyor; whether he is aware that Anne Salmon was then twelve days under the age limit and that her employment did not take place until or about the 12th of December, 1911, when she was a few days over age, although her services were available from the date of her sanction by Mr. Wedlake; is he aware that the postal Department now refuse to sanction her appointment to a permanent position on the ground that she was over age by a few days on her appointment to the temporary position through no fault of her own; can he state whether it is the rule in all other branches of the Civil Service to regard persons as not over age if they are under the limit on the date of the qualifying examination; and will he inquire into the facts of this case and have any grievance there may be remedied?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe facts of the case are as follows: In November,1404W 1911, the question arose of employing a part-time telephonist at Naas. Miss Anne Sammon applied for the position, but no decision to employ her was arrived at during Mr. Wedlake's visit to that office on or about the 23rd of November. As it appeared from the information furnished by her and by her father that she was eligible on the score of age, the surveyor, on the 12th of December, gave authority for her employment; and she was admitted forthwith. There was no Civil Service examination prior to her admission, the situation being merely a part-time one. She was recently nominated to a vacancy for a full-time telephonist; and, on the production of the British certificate required by the Civil Service Commissioners, it was found that the information she had in the first instance furnished as to her age was incorrect, the date of her birth being the 4th of December, 1892, and not the 4th of January, 1893, as she had stated at the time of her admission. The maximum limit of age for the situation of telephonist is nineteen; and Miss Sammon was thus above that limit when first employed in the Post Office. The regulations require that a candidate should be within the prescribed limits of age on the day of examination by the Civil Service Commissioners, or that she should have been continuously employed in the Post Office from a time when she was within the limits of age. Under these regulatoins, Miss Sammon is clearly ineligible; and an appointment cannot, therefore, be offered to her.
§ Sir ARCHIBALD WILLIAMSONasked the Postmaster-General whether it is his intention at an early date to extend the telephone service to Garmouth, in Morayshire; and what is the nearest point from Garmouth to which service is at present provided?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI have no knowledge at present of any application for the extension of the telephone system to Garmouth, but I will make inquiry and write to the hon. Member. The nearest point at which telephone service is at present provided is Fochabers.
§ Mr. TOUCHEasked the Postmaster-General if he can explain the delay in supplying Mr. William Sandford Poole with a telephone service to his residence, Oakwood, Hayward's Heath; is he aware that it is now nearly ten months since Mr. Poole signed the agreement for the telephone; 1405W that the delay was attributed by the Post Office authorities to the refusal of the Hay-ward's Heath Urban District Council to consent to the erection of wooden poles in Bolnore Road; that the clerk to the council has officially informed Mr. Poole that his council had raised no difficulty with the Post Office authorities about the telephone service; can he say how this misunderstanding about the attitude of the council arose, and why it was not cleared up sooner; and can he now mention any approximate date when the installation of the service may be looked for?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELThe delay is due to the insistence of the urban district council on a demand for iron poles, which are not only objectionable on engineering grounds, but are five times as costly as the ordinary poles. The line is required for one subscriber only, and the additional cost of about £30 must either be borne by the council who desire what they regard as an amenity, or else by the subscriber.