§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Whether the Royal Commission which, in 1880, inquired into the Registry of Deeds in Ireland, recommended an improvement in the position of the members of the clerical staff of that office; whether there are seventeen members of the Third Class whose services range from eight to twenty-three years; and, whether it is intended, in accordance with the recommendation of the Commissioners, to incorporate them with the Second Class, or otherwise remove their causes of complaint?
§ COLONEL KING-HARMANasked the Secretary to the Treasury, If he will inquire whether a memorial was received from the clerks of the Registry of Deeds Office on the 14th February 1882, the prayer of which the Treasury declined to grant; whether the Third Class clerks recently submitted another memorial to the Registrar of Deeds, which he declined to forward; whether five clerks of the Third Class have asked the permission of the Registrar to seek transfers to other departments; and, whether the Treasury will permit the remaining clerks of the Third Class to rise by regular annual increments to the maximum salary of the Second Class as recommended by the Royal Commission?
§ MR. FINDLATERasked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether it is not the case that, prior to the passing of "The Registry of Deeds Office (Ireland) Holidays Act, 1883," the clerks in said office wore allowed certain holidays (if the state of business permitted); whether the object and intention of said Act was to carry out some of the recommendations of a Royal Commission and grant additional holidays, so as to place the staff in the same position as the em- 1149 ployés in other Public Departments in Dublin; and, whether the been intended to be conferred upon the said clerks is materially diminished by a Treasury Letter, dated 8th June 1883, directing that no addition shall be made to the number of holidays theretofore enjoyed by the staff, which has led to the absolute deduction from the holidays previously granted of a number of days equivalent to the additional holidays allowed by the Act of 1883?
§ MR. COURTNEYSir, I will answer the three Questions together. There are 17 third-class clerks of five to 23 years' service; the senior man having that service would long since have been promoted were it not for his unfitness. There was a petition two years ago the prayer of which was refused; the application, I am told, was recently renewed; but the Registrar very properly declined to endorse it, the circumstances being now more favourable to the men than they were two years ago. Some clerks have asked to be transferred, and one has been so; and the Treasury would be very willing to encourage transfers, so as to reduce the class more rapidly. There is no reason for thinking that the present scale of salaries is low in proportion to the duties to be performed, or with regard to the amount paid in other Departments for similar work, and there is no intention of adding to it. The Royal Commission's recommendations were connected with a large change in the law which has not yet been carried into effect. As regards the holidays, the men formerly did not get regular holidays; but they now get as much holiday as is allowed in analogous offices, the pressure which existed at the time of the Royal Commission having ceased. The object of the Act referred to was to enable this office to be closed on the same days as others.