§ SIR H. DRUMMOND WOLFFasked the Secretary to the Admiralty, Whether there is any reason why the per-centage of promotion to the rank of chief gunners should not be the same as that of other warrant officers, viz. four per cent. in lieu of two per cent.; and, whether the Admiralty will consider the expediency of increasing the number of chief gunners, chief boatswains, and chief carpenters, considering that the rank of "chief" is virtually the highest which seamen and petty officers of the Navy can attain?
§ MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANSir, I cannot find that the figures quoted by the hon. Member as representing the proportion of the higher to the lower rank of warrant officers are at all accurate. But without going into that question, I may say that the Admiralty have had for some time under their consideration the expediency of some re-adjustment of the numbers in the higher rank in certain classes, without any increase of chief warrant officers as a whole. No decision has yet been arrived at.