TO-DAY'S PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 15343, 18 November 1913, Page 4

TO-DAY'S PARLIAMENT

I ! T'fv>M Oft Own Jlr.i'or.Tr.ii.] | .Mi Chatham pr<"-">i!cd :i ij-tui.-n from Ih'- firren Island I'.or.'uch (Vuiii.il praving I for a nTund of £10,". irom th- Hofeiicc l)c I partm'-:n< ;■- ii.-o; ..'.-■' ,-,[ a hall in th'>> I borough. j Sir .lose) hj Ward, in intioducing the ■ I'ubli ■ Soi'vCc Ami-r.hiien! Hill. s;i'id ho I had not communicated with anv members I of Urn .-crvire. but he \v,i> <lc.-iio'u:-. of tindi 11".i: out what, was the actual position o£ j the Post. :nv\ Telegra|ili service, and ta I ]iu* on re. ord the ic.mltr. of the, recent | mnference held by reprc-eniatives of the service. lie was iinpiess.o.l witli tho diiKculticc. "f lhe. oiticecs, who were unable to gain recoil' id.-ration of their representations. The Oiv.nmissinner.s by law were made Miprenic controllers of the, whole service, and could remove, exalt, or transfer anybody, or iucrca;e any salary, The result was thai public servant:-, we're. not free men. These servant i wore the onlv section of the public that could not, speak to a member of Parliament about their conditions and grievance?. Thov bad refused an interview with the Comniissioie-rs in older to ventilate their grievances. They were like a waterlogged ship, and < "uld no! ,-feer a , ourso. Although the I'.v-lmaster-ticneial controlled the whoio s'lviie. lie was as helpless as ih'i babe, unborn. Jf he interfered, indeed, he was liable lo ;> dnc of £[,o. Sir Joseph Ward quoted a newspaper report stating that, the delegates had <-ome to a deadlock with the Commissioners.