In April, 1902, Captain Norton intervened on behalf of two letter sorters, R. H. Brown and H. Johnson, who feared they were going to be passed over in the filling of certain vacancies among the overseers.[317] In 1906, Captain Norton was made a Junior Lord of the Treasury in the Campbell-Bannerman Liberal Government.
In March, 1903, Mr. M. Joyce, M. P. for Limerick as well as an Alderman, asked the Postmaster General:
“Whether it is his intention to promote a local official to the assistant superintendentship now vacant at the Limerick Post Office, and, if not, will he assign the reason…? May I ask whether the duties of this office have not been performed in the most satisfactory manner by a local officer during the absence of the assistant superintendent, and will he give this matter due consideration, as every class of the community would be pleased at such an appointment.”[318]
In April, 1903, Mr. Shehan asked the Postmaster General: “Whether his attention has been directed to an application from Dennis Murphy, at present acting as auxiliary postman, for appointment to the vacant position of rural postman from Mill Street to Culler, County Cork; and whether, in view of the man’s character and qualifications, he will consider the advisability of appointing him to the vacancy?”[319]
In February, 1903, Mr. Nannetti asked the Postmaster General “whether he is aware that a telegraphist named Mercer, of the Bristol Post Office, has applied for 160 vacant postmaster ships since 1894; whether, seeing that during these periods clerks of less service, experience, ability and salary have been the recipients of these positions, he will make inquiry into the case?”[320]
In July, 1899, Mr. O’Brien,[321] M. P. for Kilkenny, asked the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, “whether he is aware that a postman named Jackson, in Kilkenny, has been in the Post Office service over 20 years and that his wages at present are only 12s. per week; and whether Jackson was given the increment of 1s. 6d. per week fixed by the new wages scale which came into operation in April, 1897; and if not, whether he will cause inquiry to be made into the case, with the view of giving Jackson the wages to which he is entitled by the rules of the service?” Mr. R. W. Hanbury, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, replied: “The rural postman at Kilkenny to whom the Honorable Member refers was transferred, on June 19, to another walk at that place, carrying wages of 16s. a week. His previous duty was not sufficient to warrant higher wages than 12s. a week.”[322]
In April, 1901, Sir George Newnes, M. P. for Swansea, protested against the promotion out of order, according to seniority, of one A. E. Samuel, a sorter and telegraphist at Swansea.[323] Sir George Newnes is the founder of George Newnes, Limited, proprietors Strand Magazine, Tit-Bits, etc.; and proprietor of the Westminster Gazette, the London evening newspaper of the Liberal Party.
In February and March, 1903, Mr. C. E. Schwann, M. P. for Manchester, protested against the promotion out of order of two men at Manchester, who had been respectively numbers 99 and 133 in their class.[324] Mr. Schwann is President of the Manchester Reform Club, and has been nine years President of the National Reform Union. He has held successively the offices of Secretary, Treasurer and President of the Manchester Liberal Association. In 1900 he was elected to Parliament by a majority of twenty-six votes.