§ MR. LAWSON (St. Pancras, W.)asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether he is aware that officers of the Outdoor Customs, London, are employed in vaults and warehouses in a highly insanitary condition without the ordinary means of warmth and ventilation where gas has constantly to be used at all times, especially at (1) East India Avenue Vaults, Leaden hall Street; (2) Cooper's Row (Wet Goods), Tower Hill; (3) Colonial Wharf, near the Tower; (4) the 1009 Ganger's Boxes in the various Docks; (5) the Clerical Offices in the Fenchurch Street Tea Warehouses, and other places in the heart of the City; and, as most of these offices, &c. have only been in actual use since 1882, who was responsible for their selection and approval; and, if he will institute an inquiry, and cause a Report to be drawn up on the subject?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY (Mr. HENRY H. FOWLER) (Wolverhampton, E.)Some of the offices in which outdoor officers of the Customs are employed are not of a description so satisfactory as might be desired; but, at the same time, in most instances they are not such as would be complained of by officers accustomed to the outdoor service. The duty on which some of these officers are employed—namely, gauging in vaults lighted only by gas—makes it very difficult to provide satisfactory accommodation for the clerical work which has to be done by a few officers in connection with it. Most of the offices in which clerical duty is performed by all the officers employed in them were taken by the Board of Works in 1882, when the new system of keeping the accounts at the warehouses was introduced; and at that time it was found extremely difficult to get any accommodation at all in places where it was requisite. As opportunities occur better accommodation will be provided; but it is not considered necessary that any Report should be made on the subject.