In August, 1903, Mr. L. Sinclair intervened on behalf of B. J. Foreman, "who was not qualified for the award of a pension, as he was neither 60 years of age nor incapacitated from the performance of his duty" when his service was terminated.[347] In March, 1891, Earl Compton intervened on behalf of a first class sorter who had been reduced to the second class after having been sentenced to a fine by a Police Magistrate.[348] In December, 1893, Mr. Keir Hardie asked the Postmaster General to modify the rules governing fines for being late at duty. In February, 1899, Mr. Maddison made a similar request.[349] In October, 1902, Mr. Palmer intervened on behalf of some "learners" at Reading, who had been punished "for careless performance of their duties, leading to serious delay in the delivery of telegrams."[350] Mr. Palmer, a biscuit manufacturer, was the Member for Reading. In the past he had been an Alderman as well as the Mayor of Reading. In July, 1901, Mr. Groves intervened on behalf of a postman at Manchester from whom annual increments of pay had been withheld under the rules governing irregular attendance.[351] Mr. Groves is Chairman of the South Salford Conservative Association. In April, 1900, Mr. Steadman said: "I honestly admit that this question business might be overdone; but at the same time, if anyone, postman or anyone else, thinks I can do his case any good by putting down a question, I shall always do so as long as I am a Member of this House." Mr. Steadman proved as good as his boast; and in July, 1900, he intervened on behalf of a man from whom the Post Office Department had withheld two good conduct stripes "because he had absented himself frequently on insufficient plea of illness." Mr. Steadman stood ready to shield any malingerer who might apply to him, though malingering is a serious evil in the Post Office service. For example, in 1901 the average number of days' absence on sick-leave was 7.6 days for the men in that part of the staff that receives full pay during sick-leave, as against 5.2 days for the men in that part of the staff that receives only half-pay during sick-leave.[352] Mr. Steadman had been elected to Parliament by a majority of 20 votes. He is at present a Member of the London County Council.[353] In June, 1906, Mr. Sydney Buxton, who had become Postmaster General, upon the formation of the Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman Ministry, in December, 1905, expressed himself as follows:[354] "He was informed a little while ago by his private secretary that in the ordinary way 60 or 70 applications of various sorts were made by honorable Members in the course of a calendar month, but that for some months past, in consequence perhaps of there being a new Government, a new Parliament, new Members, and a new Postmaster General, the number of applications of all sorts had amounted to between 300 and 400 per month." [Sidenote: _A Member of the Select Committee on Post Office Servants, 1906_]