§ MR. RITCHIEasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Whether it is the case that a number of extra messengers permanently employed in the Customs, some having between twenty and forty years' service, have no annual or sick leave, and do not receive pay for the usual official holidays, although they are precluded from being employed on those days, and whether they are paid fortnightly instead of weekly; whether the messengers at the Admiralty, similarly placed, do have annual and sick leave, and are also paid for the usual official holidays, and are paid weekly; whether the Treasury has received, through the Board of Customs, a Petition from the Customs' extra messengers, dated 26th April 1883, asking to be paid weekly instead of fortnightly; and, what is the reason why the extra messengers in the Customs are treated so differently from similar servants in the Admiralty?
§ MR. COURTNEYSir, the Treasury have received no Petition from any men of the character described. I am informed, however, that they belong to the class of Customs extra men, who are employed by the Board only when required, and are paid for every day so employed. Some of them have been fortunate enough to continue on the list of extra men for many years, but are in no sense established. I do not know anything about the Admiralty employés referred to; but the system of extra men in the Customs' Service appears a good one, and there is no intention of altering it.