§ COLONEL KING-HARMANasked the Secretary to the Treasury, With regard to the recommendations contained in the final Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Registry of Deeds. Ireland, that certain additional holidays and half-holidays should be given to the staff, that a certain measure of relief should be given to the transcribing clerks, and that certain improvements should be made in the accommodation of the office, whether such recommendations have been carried out; whether the Royal Commission also recommended that there should be only two classes of clerks, the second and third classes being united; whether this system of having only two classes is already in operation in the Irish Constabulary Office, the Office of National Education, and in the Offices of the Board of works and Local Government Board; whether, recently, several clerks of the Registry of Deeds, being dissatisfied with their prospects, have applied for leave to be transferred to other Departments; and, whether, in 612 order to improve the position of the third-class clerks, and to remove the discontent at present existing in the Department of the Registry of Deeds, the Lords of Her Majesty's Treasury are prepared to unite the second and third classes of clerks, as recommended by the Royal Commission?
§ MR. COURTNEYSir, the extra holidays in this Department have been given, and the office accommodation has been improved. I am not aware that the copyists have any grievance; but inquiry is being made upon this point. The third class of clerks is being put an end to, lower division clerks being substituted as vacancies occur. Nothing is known at the Treasury of any discontent in the office.