§ Mr. GILBERTasked the Postmaster General whether he is aware that a war bonus of 6s. per week on 1st July, 1918, and a further bonus of 4s. per week on 1st November, 1918, were granted to permanent clerks in the A. G. Department of the Post Office and was refused to the temporary clerks employed in the same Department, and that after several petitions had been presented temporary clerks were paid a fixed wage of 56s. per week, which in practice only means an increase of 1s. 6d. per week as against 10s. extra war bonus paid to permanent clerks; whether he is aware that the extra cost of living affects equally both classes of clerks; and, as both are performing exactly the same work, will he reconsider at once granting the temporary clerks an equal war bonus to that paid to the permanent clerks?
§ Mr. ILLINGWORTHThe increases to permanent staff were granted in accordance with awards made by the Conciliation and Arbitration Board for Government emplyoyés, but no such awards were made with reference to temporary staff. The Board at the beginning of last year recorded their opinion that it was impossible to deal with claims for war bonus from temporary employés in the same way as with claims from permanent employés. The pay of temporary clerks throughout660W the Civil Service was accordingly considered separately and certain scales inclusive of war bonus were introduced by the Treasury as from the 1st July last The male clerks in the Accountant General's Department did not receive much benefit from the new scale on which they were placed, but the question of placing some of them on a higher scale is under consideration.