The foregoing recommendation of the Tweedmouth Committee was not endorsed by the Government. On March 13, 1906, the Postmaster General, Mr. Sydney Buxton, in reply to Mr. Thomas Smyth, M. P., who was intervening on behalf of one Thomas Reilly, said: “I find that Thomas Reilly would have been entitled to an increase of one shilling and six pence a week in his wages as from April 1, 1905, if his conduct during the preceding twelve months had been satisfactory. Unfortunately the necessary certificate to that effect could not be given, but the question of granting the increase to Reilly will come up again for consideration shortly…. It will be necessary to postpone for a time the award of a second stripe.”[332]
In October, 1895, one Roberts, an auxiliary postman was warned that he would be dismissed unless his conduct improved. He had been reported for “treating parcel receptacles in a rough and reckless manner, and smashing the parcels.” In November, 1895, he altered the address on a parcel in order to save himself the trouble of delivering the parcel on the day on which he made the alteration. The parcel was given to a carrier on another route, who returned it as not deliverable. After some delay the parcel finally was delivered by Roberts. When Mr. S. Walpole, Secretary of the Post Office, heard this testimony, he exclaimed: “And was Roberts dismissed on the spot?” Mr. Badcock, Controller London Postal Service, replied: “No. The overseer described him as totally unreliable, and he was warned for the last time.” Mr. Walpole continued: “Why was he not dismissed?” Mr. Badcock replied: “Well, he ought to have been.” In January, 1896, Roberts was again cautioned; on February 24, 1896, he failed to attend his morning duty; and he was seriously cautioned again. In March, 1896, he was guilty of “gross carelessness,” and was told to look for other employment. Thereupon Roberts wrote his postmaster that he was a member of the Postmen’s Federation. Shortly afterward, Mr. Churchfield, Secretary of the Postmen’s Federation, brought Roberts’ case before the Tweedmouth Committee, alleging that the Post Office Department had dismissed Roberts because he had supplied evidence to the representatives of the postal employees who had appeared before the Tweedmouth Committee.[333]
In 1878, one Woodhouse, a postman at Norwich, was suspended for two days for irregular attendance, having been late 42 times in three months. In 1880, he was suspended for three days, having been late 173 times during the year. Woodhouse also had been very troublesome to the inspector, setting a bad example to the younger men. In 1882, he was absent from duty because of intoxication, was grossly insubordinate to the local postmaster, whom he set at defiance, and also grossly insubordinate to the surveyor. The local postmaster recommended that he be dismissed. “At headquarters, however, with a large, and some people think a very undue, leniency, it was decided to give him one more trial.” In 1889, Woodhouse was cautioned by the postmaster for insubordinate conduct to the inspector. In 1891 and 1892, the postmaster refused to recommend him for good conduct stripes. In 1894 there was a marked improvement in Woodhouse’s conduct. The improvement was maintained, and in 1896, Woodhouse was recommended for good conduct stripes. Of this man, Mr. J. S. Smith, the official representative of the provincial postmen, said, in 1896, before the Tweedmouth Committee: “The last 17 or 18 years of Woodhouse’s career have been of a most exemplary description, a good time-keeper and zealous in the discharge of his duties, and yet, though he had been a postman for 25 years, he has never been the recipient of a good conduct stripe. By this means he has been deprived of about $450, truly a great loss for a postman to suffer through having this vast sum deducted from his wages. It needs no words of mine to point out the great injustice that has been inflicted upon Woodhouse. Any little irregularity that may have occurred (such as bad time-keeping, which is admitted) in the first 7 or 8 years of his service, has been amply atoned for by 17 or 18 years’ punctuality and excellent behavior.”[334]
In November, 1895, a letter carrier at Manchester came “under the influence of drink,” and reached at 3.50 p. m. a point in his walk which he should have reached at 2.30 p. m. “On the following day he was again under the influence of drink and unfit to make his delivery.” The punishment was the deprivation of one good conduct stripe.[335]
In December, 1895, a postman at Newcastle, while off duty, but in uniform, “was reeling along [one of the principal streets] intoxicated at 3 p. m.” The case was sent up to the Postmaster General, who decided that the man should lose one good conduct stripe. Mr. Spencer Walpole, a member of the Tweedmouth Committee, and the Permanent Secretary to the Post Office, said dismissal would not have been too severe a punishment; and Mr. H. Joyce, Third Secretary General Post Office, London, assented to the statement.[336]
Mr. Badcock, Controller London Postal Service, in replying to the testimony of Mr. A. F. Harris, the official representative of the London postmen, said that it was true that while one Worth for some years past had off and on been made an acting head postman, he had not been recommended for promotion to the position of head postman, because his postmaster had reported that he was “shifty, unreliable, and careless.” Mr. Walpole, Secretary of the Post Office, thereupon queried: “Is that not a reason for not employing him to act as head postman?” Mr. Badcock replied: “It was thought better to give him a chance, instead of letting him have the grievance of complaining that he had not had an opportunity of showing whether he was qualified.” Mr. Walpole continued: “But if he showed himself shifty, unreliable, and careless for several years, ought not his trial as a head postman to cease?” Mr. Badcock replied: “I must confess that I think so.”[337]
In February, 1887, Mr. Marum intervened in the House of Commons on behalf of one Ward, a telegraphist, who had been dismissed in 1876 because he had discharged his duties unsatisfactorily.[338]
In February, 1888, Mr. Lawson, a Member of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the Civil Establishments, intervened on behalf of one Harvey, a letter carrier who had been dismissed in 1882.[339]
In March, 1901, Mr. Bartley[340] intervened on behalf of one Canless, who had been dismissed because the Postmaster General “was of the opinion that Mr. Canless was not a fit person to be retained in the service.” On dismissing the man, the Post Office had deducted from his pay the value of a postal money order—$2.25—alleged to have been stolen by him.[341] Canless’ case was brought up again in August, 1904, upon the occasion of the debate upon the Report of the Bradford Committee.