§ BARON HENRY DE WORMSasked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether, in view of the fact that great discontent prevails among the established Customs watermen of the Port of London, in consequence of their small prospects of promotion, an officer in the second class having to give some twenty years' service before he reaches the first class, and before he obtains any increase to his salary, and also in consequence of the inadequate system of superannuation, any steps will be taken for redressing 863 the grievances of this body of public servants?
§ MR. COURTNEYSir, this class was under consideration so recently as 1882, and the Board of Customs do not recommend any change in the arrangements then made. Applications for appointments in it are extremely numerous, and far in excess of the number of vacancies. The hon. Member is in error in supposing that these men get no increase in their salary until they are promoted; as a matter of fact, it increases for the first 10 years of service. They get the same rate of pension as other Civil servants. I can hold out no hope of an improvement in their position.