It was pointed out that at a time when the Government had no means of appreciating the advantages of a resident postmaster, it was considered rather a favour to the Postmaster General to let him live at the Office at a rent a little lower than he would have paid for a small house elsewhere.
I need scarcely say that such residence involves an amount of interruption, and of disturbance "at all hours of the day or night, - Sundays and Week days, such as only an officer thoroughly interested in the service would find it possible to tolerate. No medical man in good practice can be less sure of a moment's rest, food, or privacy than the Postmaster General. I am ordinarily in my office at 7 a.m., seldom out of it before 5 p.m. Night work and Sunday work have to be taken as matters of course. I have worked 36 consecutive hours, with scarcely an intermission for a hurried mouthful of food.
I hope I may be pardoned for saying that £800 a year with free quarters is not too lavish a salary for work of this description.
In giving, I fear at too great length, the history of this question, I trust I have made good three points; -
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