§ MR. O'DONNELLasked the Secretary of State for War, Whether he is aware that the Director General of the Army Medical Department represented to the authorities that the title of Hospital Quartermaster is most distasteful to the officers of the Army Hospital Corps, and recommended its abolition or withdrawal; whether he is aware that very many officers of the Army Hospital Corps, not only prefer their present titles as Captains and Lieutenants of Orderlies of the Army Hospital Corps, even though remaining such entails remaining on their old rate of pay and pension, but that they have petitioned the authorities to this effect; whether, if he is unaware of these facts, he will inquire why these representations have not been submitted to him; and, whether, meanwhile, he will order that no officer of the Army Hospital Corps shall be gazetted Hospital Quartermaster pending further inquiry?
§ MR. CHILDERSSir, in reply to the first part of the hon. Member's Question, I have to say that the Director General of the Army Medical Department is himself "one of the authorities" at the War Office with whom I am in constant confidential communication, and that I must decline to state what advice he may from time to time give to me. I must, at the same time, beg the hon. Member not to assume from this answer that his Question is well founded. As to the second part of the Question, I find that two of these officers who belonged to the old class of apothecaries, and one lieutenant of orderlies, have applied to retain their former titles and conditions of service. These three applications have been received since my former answer to the hon. Member, and have been submitted to me in due course. I have not yet decided what action to take upon them. Other applications to retain the old title, but not the old emoluments, have been received; but I have no intention to entertain them. I do not propose to delay the gazetting of the hospital quartermasters.