The Express.
London, England, 1860-09-08 00:00:00

POBT•OPP10R REGULATIONS.

A number of young men who are employed at
the General Post-office as auxiliaries In carrying out the
business of the office, yesterday waited upon Sir it.
W. Carden, at the Mansion-bowie, in order tombs a deto-
ured of what they alleged to be a great grievance to whieh
they bed been subjected by the authceitice of the General
P 0514111103.

_
One of the party, who spoke for the rest, said that they
bad all vaginally, been employed as auxiliary letter
carriers in different perm of the country, for which they
were paid ten shilliaas per week, but had the privilege of
employing their leisure time at their respective trades.
About three month, back they had been induced to come to
London to be employed is auxiliaries at the General Post-
office, upon the exprem understanding that they
were to be paid sixteen shillings per week,
and that as vacancies occurred they should be
placed upon the regular staff of the establishment. For
these was they bad to be at the Post-office every morning
at five o'clock, and were engaged for four hours i and again
in the evening for a longer period, and they received 6s. per
week for the morning duty, sod 10a. for the evening. Yes-
terday morning, without any previous notice, they were told
that they would not be paid les. a week any longer, but that
next week they would not be required to perform the morn-
ing duty, and would only be paid 10s. a week. most of
them were young married men, and it was impossible for
thew to subsist upon 10s. a week, and they therefore thought
they were justified in making the matter public, or that the
worthy alderman might suggest some step that would induce
the Nato-Aloe authorities to rescind the resolution they had
come to, to reduce the men's wenn to so large an extent
One of the party here stated that he was doing very well
in the country district, and he had been induced to come to
London upon the express understanding that he was to be
paid leis. a week until he was appointed upon the regular
staff of the Post-offioe. He had a sick wife and child, and
he put it to any one how it was possible for him to sup-
port them and himself upon 10e. a week. If the regulation
was carried out, there was no prospect before him but
starvation and a prison.
Sir R. Carden asked if he was to understand that there
was an express understanding with them when they left the
country district, in which they were employed, that they
were to receive 16e. per week until they were permanently
apte nspoliesman said that this was the express understand-
ing, but it wee only verbal, and there was no written agree.
meet. In spite of this, however, they were told that morn-
ing that in future they would only be paid 10s. per week.
Sir R. Carden inquired whether they did not remon-
strate with the Post-office authoritiesiipon their breach of
the agremaat
The roman said they did, and the' only answer they
was that if they did not like to accept the reduced
, vases, were at liberty to leave the service. It was a
very great Vi upon men in their position to be treated
I. this manner, and it was all very well to say that they
might go back to the country, but when they came to Lon-
don they lost all their employment there, end it was of no
use returning.
Sir R. Carden observed that, strictly !peaking, he had no
right to eater into such en inquiry. as this, but the question
was certainly one of considerable importance, not only to
the applicants, but also Loan important brunch of the public
service, and be therefore did not feel himself called upon to
prevent them from making the statement they had .lone.
According to their statement there bad been a serious breech
of contract on the part of the authorities of the Past-office,
and he thought it only fair that a communication should be
made to them upon the subject, and that they should have
an
an. opportunity of making any answer to it that they thought

The applicants said they were very anxious to make the
statement they had done in this court, in order that the
public might know how they were treated.
The matter was then directed to be postponed for a short
time, and during the interval a oommuuicatiou was made to
the Post-office upon the subject, sad three gentlemen con-
nected with sonic of the principal departments, whose
names slid not transpire, subsequently attended for the per-
pose of giving mere expLination-
Sir It. Cardm, addressing them, said that although the
question was one with which, strictly, he bad nothing to do,
and, under ordinary circumstances, the application was one
which he would have no power to entertain, still when a
number of respectable young men came before him, and
stated the particulars of what undoubtedly affewed to be a
peat grievance, which they sustained at the hands of ale of
the public establishments, be felt that he Gadd not refuse to
listen to them, and he should be glad to hear any
thin the officials of the Post-offloe were prepared to ve to
the complaint that bad been made. That complaint un-
derstood to be that these young men had been brought to
Lambe on the express understandiog that they were to se-
criers lea pee week until they were permanently appointed,
and that now they were suddenly told that they would only
be paid 10s. per week, which was a sum totally inadequate
to suppqgt them.
On elf the gentlemen who attended from the Post-office
handed to Sir R. Carden the regulations under which the
auxiliaries, as they were termed, were employed by the
Postudice. One of them was that the party should be able
to reed, be five feet six inches high, and should also he able
to oast up figures, and the salary was expressly stated to be
10a. per leech.
The men all declared that they never saw this regulation,
and it had been issued since they were appointed.
The gentleman said he was not aware that any promise
had ever been made to these men that they were to have 16s. •
week. Thee might have been paid that amount, but it was
fur edditioual servites that were now di continued.

Sir R. Cardau—Then it is true, as they say, that they
have hitherto been in the reeript of I4M. per week, and it is
now propo.el soddenly to reduoe that amount to 10s.
The gentleman said he did not dispute the fact.
One of the applicants here exclaimed that he had been
brought from the country where he was earning a respect.
able livelihood, upon the positive understanding that he was
to be paid sixteen shillings • week wages. This was
little enough to support him and his family, and when he
complained of the proposed reduction all the answer he got
was that if hedid not like it he might go. He could not help
saying that he considered it was ffirgraoeful conduct on the
part of • government office to treat men in this manner,
even if he were discharged for raying so. (Here there was a
burst of applause from the auditory.)
The gentleman who represented the Poet-office here
stated, in answer to a question put to him by Sir R. Carden,
that there were at the present time no less than 300 appli•
cations for the office of auxiliary.
One of the complaining parties said the reason for this
was that they did not know how they would be treated.
They were led to believe that itwas • good appointment, and
that they would be liberally dealt with. They did not
expect to be called upon to wort themselves and their
famihes upon ten shillings • w
Sir R. Carden said it was manifestly impossible for a man
to live in Loudon upon 10e. per week.
The Post-office official said these men had not tried
to do so.

—Sir It:Carden said he thought that they had taken a
better course in coming forward and stating that they could
not accept the wages offered, before they got into debt and
difficulty, which it wan clear they must do upon such an
amount of wages. He then said that he was perfectly well
aware that he bad no right to interfere with the regulations
of the Poet-office, but it certainly appeared to him that
these men were entitled to have their case token into consi-
deration by the Post-olllce authorities, and that the public
had a right to know why their wages had been suddenly
reduced to so peat an extent.
The Poet-office officials promised that the matter should
be laid before the Postmaster-General, and the parties then
left the court, after thanking the worthy alderman for the
attention he had paid to their complaint.