[293] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897; q. 12,180, and Appendix, p. 1,110. [294] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897; q. 12,205. [295] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897; q. 12,184 and 12,185. [296] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897; q. 12,230 and 12,239. [297] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897; q. 12,182 and 5,629. [298] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, March 31, 1883, p. 55. [299] _Hansard's Parliamentary Debates_, June 6, 1887, p. 1,081 and following. [300] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897; q. 5,603 and 12,160 to 12,162. [301] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Post Office Establishments_, 1897; q. 6,983. [302] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Post Office Establishments_, 1897; Mr. J. G. Uren, President Postmasters' Association; q. 12,493 and following; and Mr. E. B. L. Hill, Assistant Secretary General Post Office; q. 15,450. [303] "But I do not think I ought to conceal the fact that the majority of our members are the postmasters of small and medium sized places who have very likely got, according to our ideas, more grounds for grievance than the postmasters of larger towns." [304] That the peculiar demands and ideals described in these chapters are by no means confined to the Post Office employees, is shown by the subjoined quotation from a Treasury Minute of March, 1891, relative to an Inquiry by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury into the Administration of the Outdoor Department of the Customs Revenue Department, to wit: "Besides the alleged loss of promotion through a reduction in the higher appointments, and the various arrangements by which they considered that they were injured in their emoluments or as to the hours of working, the officers of all grades complained of the existing system of promotion. They contended that it was unfair and fortuitous in its operation, and did not pay sufficient regard to seniority."--_Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Post Office Establishments_, 1897; q. 12,577. [305] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Post Office Establishments_, 1897. Testimony of the representatives of the Postmasters' Association: Mr. J. G. Uren, Mr. W. E. Carrette (Queenstown), Mr. John Macmaster; and Appendix, p. 1,127. [306] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897, Mr. Joseph Shephard; q. 3,117 to 3,126, and testimony of Mr. J. C. Badcock, Controller London Postal Service. [307] _Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Post Office Establishments_, 1897; q. 1,614.