On the same day, Mr. Sloan asked the Postmaster General "under what circumstances the junior head postman at Belfast is retained permanently on a regular duty while his seniors, equally capable men, are compelled to rotate on irregular duties with irregular hours." On August 2, 1906, the Postmaster General, Mr. Sydney Buxton, replied to Mr. Sloan: "I cannot review cases of promotion decided by my predecessor eighteen months ago." In 1905 Mr. Sloan had voted for a Select Committee on Postal Servants' Grievances. The foregoing quotations could be extended indefinitely, but they illustrate sufficiently the several kinds of intervention in matters of mere administrative detail, as well as the high political and social standing of some of the Members of Parliament who lend themselves to those several kinds of intervention. But these quotations may not be brought to an end without mention of the qualifying fact that Lord Stanley, Postmaster General from 1903 to 1905, repeatedly stated in the House of Commons that he did "not select the senior men unless they were best qualified to do the work."[328] FOOTNOTES: [273] _Third Report from the Select Committee on Civil Services Expenditure_, 1873; q. 4,193 to 4,206, and 4,267. [274] _Report from the Select Committee on Post Office_ (_Telegraph Department_), 1876; q. 3,122 to 3,125. [275] _Correspondence Relating to the Post Office Telegraph Department_: Letter of April 12, 1877, Postmaster General, Lord John Manners, to the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury. [276] _Report from the Select Committee on Post Office_ (_Telegraph Department_), 1876; q. 1,259. [277] _Report of the Bradford Committee on Post Office Wages_, 1904; q. 1,024 and 1,048. [278] Mr. Lowe, Chancellor of the Exchequer, divided the service into three classes, in such a way that it was difficult, if not impossible, to pass from one class to the other. That was done with the object of preventing individuals from bringing pressure on Members of Parliament for promotion from class to class. [279] Compare also: _Third Report from the Select Committee on Civil Services Expenditure_, 1873; q. 3,703 to 3,705, Mr. T. H. Farrer, Permanent Secretary of the Board of Trade. "The salt of the service is the staff appointments.... Since I have been in the Board of Trade there have been almost forty higher staff appointments, and on not more than four could I put my finger and say they had been made from any other motive than the desire to get the best man. On some occasions the good appointments have been made in the teeth of strong political motives to the contrary." [280] _Second Report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the Civil Establishments_, 1888; q. 19,980, and 20,079 to 20,083. [281] _Second Report of the Royal Commission appointed to inquire into the Civil Establishments_, 1888; q. 17,564.