§ 59. Mr. BOWERMANasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his at- 209 tention has been called to an advertisement in which the Board of Inland Revenue invite applications for permanent appointments as accountants in the Inland Revenue Department, but limit the appointments to members of certain societies of accountants only; whether this limitation unfairly debars many equally efficient and experienced professional accountants throughout the country, who are not members of these societies, from applying for or obtaining any of these appointments; and whether he can see his way to adopt the definition of accountant as set forth in Section 137 (c) of the Income Tax Act, 1918, and allow an application to be made by a person who has been admitted a member of an incorporated society of accountants, such applications to be considered equally on their merits with applications from members of the societies mentioned in the advertisement?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. Having regard to the special nature of the work for which the accountants are required, I am unable to accept the suggestion made in the last part of the question.