m. The public also was "grossly misled" as to the condition of the

auxiliary postmen. For example, one Mears was alleged to earn, after 27 years' service, only $3 a week. Inquiry showed that Mears worked in a warehouse during the day, and received from the Post Office $3 a week for duties performed between the hours of 6 p. m. and 10 p. m. Other cases had been reported, but in not one instance had the figures been correct. One man in receipt of $3.94 a week, had been put down at $2.62. The London auxiliary postmen received from 12 cents to 18 cents an hour; they were mainly small tradesmen, shop assistants, and private watchmen. In the country, the auxiliary postmen received from 8 cents to 10 cents an hour.

The Postmaster General continued with the statement that the increases in wages and the concessions granted by Mr. Fawcett and Mr. Raikes had augmented the combined expenditures of the postal branch and telegraph branch by $3,750,000 a year.[166] "In 1881, the wages formed 48.7 per cent. of the gross expenditure, whereas now they formed 59.9 per cent.... He did not think that he need add to those figures, except to say that in addition to salaries there were a large number of allowances for special duties. In the circulation office in London were 4,000 sorters, of whom 250 had each an allowance of $2.50 a week, while a very large number had allowances of $1.25, $0.75 and $0.50, of which never a word was said when complaints were made about salaries." The demands made by the telegraphists would increase the State's expenditures by $3,250,000 a year, "taking into account the consequential advances which other classes in the Public Service, treated on the same footing, would naturally receive." Similarly, the letter sorters made an application involving a direct increase of $635,000, and an indirect increase of another $2,500,000.

Mr. Morley next recited some statistics to show, "first of all, the desire among people outside to come into the Post Office Service, and secondly, the disinclination of those inside to go out." The Post Office recently had called for 650 male letter sorters, and had received 1,506 applications. A call for 188 "telegraph learners," had brought out 2,486 candidates. In London, in 1894, there had been no resignations among 1,261 first class sorters, and 23 resignations among 2,958 second class sorters. Out of 5,000 London postmen, 19 had resigned in 1894; and in the 5 years ending with 1894, a total of 5,700 telegraphists had furnished 348 resignations, including the resignations of women who left the service in order to marry.[167] "He could not help thinking that when the working men got to know to the full extent the terms and prospects of Postal Service, the sympathy which they had so freely bestowed on Post Office employees would be largely withdrawn."

[Sidenote: _The Government compromises with the Civil Servants_]

Mr. Morley, Postmaster General, summed up with the statement that "he should be the last to deny that change and amelioration might be required in certain respects, but, having examined all the cases, he believed the men of the Postal Service, the Telegraph Staff as well as the Postal Staff, were better treated than people from the same class in private employment. But that opinion was not altogether shared by the public, or by certain Members of the House of Commons, and therefore the Government was prepared to appoint a strong Committee, composed of men who would have special and practical knowledge and experience of administration, and who would, he hoped, be assisted by a Member of the Labor Department of the Board of Trade.... There must be upon the Committee one official of the Post Office in order to assist the Committee, but apart from that one appointment, he proposed that the Committee should be appointed from executive officers of the Government not connected with the Post Office."

Sir James Fergusson, who had preceded Mr. Morley as Postmaster General, said: "He could not shut his eyes to the fact that there was no difficulty whatever in finding candidates for employment in the Post Office. In fact, it was impossible to meet the wishes of many of those who desired to enter the Department. In those circumstances he thought it could hardly be contended seriously that the remuneration offered was grossly inadequate, or that the conditions of service were unduly onerous."

The House of Commons accepted the compromise offered by the Government. Lord Tweedmouth, Lord Privy Seal and a Member of the Cabinet, was made Chairman of the Committee, which consisted, in addition, of Sir F. Mowatt, Permanent Secretary of the Treasury; Sir A. Godley, Under Secretary of State for India; Mr. Spencer Walpole, Permanent Secretary to the Post Office; and Mr. Llewellyn Smith, of the Labor Department of the Board of Trade.[168]

FOOTNOTES:

[120] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897; q. 15,119; Mr. Lewin Hill, Assistant Secretary, General Post Office, London.

[121] _Return to an Order of the Honorable, The House of Commons_, dated March 16th, 1898.

[122] _Parliamentary Paper_, No. 34, Session of 1876, Lord John Manners, Postmaster General; and _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897, Mr. L. Hill, Assistant Secretary, General Post Office, London; Appendix, pp. 1,095 and 1,099.

[123] _Report of a Committee Appointed by the Treasury to investigate the Causes of the Increased Cost of the Telegraph Service since the Acquisition of the Telegraphs by the State_, 1875, p. 5; _First Report of the Civil Service Inquiry Commission_, 1875, p. 9; and _Report from the Select Committee on Post Office_ (_Telegraph Department_), 1876; Mr. E. Graves, Divisional Engineer; q. 1,566 and following.

[124] _Second Report of the Royal Commission on Civil Establishments_, 1888; Sir Lyon Playfair; q. 20,124 to 20,194; Sir Reginald E. Welby, Permanent Secretary to the Treasury, 10,557 to 10,560; and Appendix, p. 570 and following.

[125] _Parliamentary Paper_, No. 286, Session of 1881.

[126] _Report from the Select Committee on Revenue Departments Estimates_, 1888; Appendix No. 12, Mr. C. H. B. Patey, Third Secretary to the Post Office.

[127] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, August 16, 1881, p. 128.

[128] That is, he had given the telegraphists an interview.

[129] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, August 16, 1881, p. 141.

[130] _The narrative ignores the parts of the scheme affecting the_ letter carriers and letter sorters.

[131] For an account of the organization and the duties of the Treasury, as well as of the position and the duties of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, see Chapter XVII.

[132] _Parliamentary Paper_, No. 286, Session of 1881.

[133] In consequence of the fact that wages and salaries rise by annual increments from the minimum to the maximum, some years must elapse before the full effect of the increase in pay granted in 1881 would be felt. It was assumed that in the first year the total increase in expenditure would be $85,000, and that ultimately it would be $700,000. In that connection it was common to speak of a mean increase of $450,000.

[134] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, June 26, 1882, p. 429 and 431.

[135] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, March 29, 1883, p. 1,016.

[136] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, April 24, 1884, p. 572.

[137] From 1874 to 1880 Sir S. A. Blackwood had been Financial Secretary to the Post Office.

[138] _Report from the Select Committee on Revenue Departments Estimates_; q. 403 and 404.

[139] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897; q. 11,641 to 11,648.

[140] _Second Report of the Royal Commission on Civil Establishments_, 1888; q. 10,562-3, 10,742 to 10,749, and 10,772 to 10,783.

[141] _Who's Who_, 1903, West, Sir Algernon E.; Was a clerk in the Admiralty: Assistant Secretary to Sir C. Wood and Duke of Somerset; Secretary to Sir C. Wood at India Office, and to Mr. Gladstone when Prime Minister; Chairman of Board of Inland Revenue.

[142] _Second Report of the Royal Commission on Civil Establishments_, 1888; q. 17,438 to 17,447.

[143] _Second Report of the Royal Commission on Civil Establishments_, 1888; q. 20,238.

[144] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897, Mr. Lewin Hill, Assistant Secretary, General Post Office, London; q. 15,123 and 15,119.

The subjoined table shows the changes made in the wages of the second class provincial telegraphists, who enter the service as boys and girls, from fourteen years upward, and are taught telegraphy at the cost of the Department.

========================+=================+================ | Wage Under the | Wage Under the Age of the Telegraphist | Fawcett Scheme | Raikes Scheme Years | $ | $ ------------------------+-----------------+---------------- 16 | 4.00 | 3.50 17 | 4.37 | 4.50 18 | 4.75 | 5.00 19 | 5.12 | 5.50 20 | 5.50 | 6.00 21 | 5.87 | 6.50 22 | 6.25 | 7.00 23 | 6.62 | 7.50 24 | 7.00 | 8.00 25 | 7.37 | 8.50 26 | 7.75 | 9.00 27 | 8.12 | 9.50 28 | 8.50 | 10.00 29 | 8.87 | 10.00 30 | 9.25 | 10.00 31 | 9.50 | 10.00 ========================+=================+================

[145] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, August 1, 1890, p. 1,623 and following; April 17, 1891, p. 883; and August 1, 1891, p. 1,059 and following.

[146] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897; q. 11,706.

[147] _Who's Who_, 1903, Compton, family name of Marquis of Northampton.

Northampton, 5th Marquis of, Wm. Geo. Spencer Scott Compton; was in Diplomatic Service; Private Secretary to Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (Earl Cowper), 1880 to 1882; Member of Parliament (G. L.) 1889 to 1897; owns about 23,600 acres.

[148] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, April 15, 1890, p. 581 and following.

[149] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, July 31, 1890, p. 1,441.

[150] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, April 17, 1891, p. 851 and following.

[151] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, August 1, 1891, p. 1,059 and following.

[152] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, February 18, 1898, p. 1,109. S. Woods quotes as follows from the circular issued by the Fawcett Association in June, 1892: "Will you, in the event of being elected a Member of Parliament, support a motion for the appointment of a Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry into the Post Office Service, such as was advocated by Earl Compton, and largely supported during the recent Session of the House of Commons?"

[153] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, June 14, 1892, p. 1,123 and following.

[154] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, June 20, 1892, p. 1,565 and following.

[155] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, August 28, 1893, p. 1,218.

[156] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, May 17, 1895, p. 1,455, Sir A. K. Rollit, one of the most aggressive champions of the demands of the civil servants.

[157] _Who's Who_, 1903. Macdonald, J. A. M.; Member of Parliament for Bow and Bromley, 1892 to 1895; Member of the London School Board for Marylebone since 1897; Education: Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities.

[158] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, September 16, 1893, p. 1,453 and following.

[159] _Who's Who_, 1905, Kearley, H. E., J. P., D. L., Member of Parliament (G. L.), Devenport, since 1892. Director of Kearley and Tonge, L't'd., tea importers and merchants; owns 1,200 acres. In 1906 Mr. Kearley became Political Secretary of the Board of Trade in the Campbell-Bannerman Ministry.

[160] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, May 17, 1895, p. 1,446 and following.

[161] _Who's Who_, 1905, Rollit, Sir Albert Kaye, J. P., LL. D., D. C. L., D. L., Member of Parliament, South Islington, since 1886. Partner in Bailey and Leatham, steamship owners at Hull, Newcastle and London; Director of National Telephone Co.; Mayor of Hull, 1883 to 1885; President Associated Chambers of Commerce of the United Kingdom, 1890 to 1896; President London Chamber of Commerce, 1893 to 1898; Chairman Inspection Committee Trustee Savings Bank since 1890; President of Association of Municipal Corporations.

[162] In 1891-92 to 1894-95 the number of telegrams transmitted had remained practically stationary.

Number of Telegrams 1890-91 66,409,000 1891-92 69,685,000 1892-93 69,908,000 1893-94 70,899,000 1894-95 71,589,000

[163] _Who's Who_, 1905, Rollit, Sir Albert Kaye, J. P., LL. D., D. C. L., D. L., M. P., South Islington, since 1886. Partner in Bailey and Leetham, steamship owners at Hull, Newcastle and London; Director of National Telephone Co.; Mayor of Hull, 1883 to 1885; President Associated Chambers of Commerce of the United Kingdom, 1890 to 1896; President London Chamber of Commerce, 1893 to 1898; Chairman Inspection Committee Trustee Savings Bank since 1890; President of Association of Municipal Corporations.

[164] _Report of Bradford Committee on Post Office Wages_, 1904; q. 1,024; Mr. E. Trenam, Controller London Central Telegraph Office; and q. 1,048, Mr. W. G. Kirkwood, a principal clerk in Secretary's department, General Post Office.

[165] Compare also, _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, March 4, 1890, p. 1,774. Mr. Cunninghame-Grahame: "I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether it is the custom of the Post Office to give bonuses to Inspectors or other officials for cutting down working expenses, and whether continual complaints are being made of the arbitrary stoppage of payment for over-time?" "No," was answered to both questions.

[166] In April, 1896, Mr. Lewin Hill, Assistant Secretary to General Post Office, stated that on the basis of the staff of 1896, the Fawcett and Raikes schemes were costing the Post Office Department $6,000,000 a year in increased expenditure. The Postmaster General's statement of an increase of $3,750,000 in the expenditure had been made on the basis of the members actually employed in 1881 and 1891 respectively. _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897; q. 12,382 and 15,123.

[167] Compare _Report of Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897; Mr. Lewin Hill, Assistant Secretary to General Post Office; q. 15,272.

On April 1, 1891, there were employed at 57 of the largest post offices in the United Kingdom, 2,614 first class and second class male letter sorters. In the next 5 years there resigned, in all, 95 sorters. Twelve of that number resigned in order to avoid dismissal.

On April 1, 1891, there were employed at 96 of the largest telegraph offices, 4,211 first class and second class male telegraphists. In the next 5 years there were 235 resignations. Of the men who resigned, 12 avoided dismissal, 23 left because of ill health, 38 went to South Africa, 28 obtained superior appointments in the Civil Service, by open competition, 11 enlisted with the Royal Engineers, 1 entered the service of an electric light company, 1 became a bank clerk, 2 became commercial travelers, 3 went to sea, 4 emigrated to the United States, and 48 entered the service of the British Cable companies, which pay higher salaries than the Post Office, but work their men much harder and demand greater efficiency than does the Post Office.

[168] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897, is the official title of the Committee's Report.