§ Mr. CLYNESasked the Postmaster-General whether he has recently sanctioned in the Manchester telephone exchange the reduction in the pay of girl probationers to 5s. per week of thirty-six hours; whether these probationers are performing certain junior clerical duties formerly allocated to junior telephonists on a minimum wage of 10s. per week; and whether, under the recommendation of the Hobhouse Committee, any probationer can be employed in a provincial town for less than 6s. per week?
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§ Captain NORTONThere has been no reduction in pay of girl probationers. The employment in the Manchester trunk telephone exchange of five girl probationers was only recently authorised. These probationers, who have the prospect of becoming telephonists, are paid on a scale of 5s., rising by annual incre-1510W ments of 1s. to 8s. a week. They are employed in collecting and distributing telephone tickets and certain other simple work, which would otherwise be performed by junior telephonists. The girl probationer class was authorised in 1911, subsequently to the Report of the Parliamentary Committee of 1907.