§ MR. T. W. RUSSELL (Tyrone, S.)asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether it is true that officers in the Customs Service, known as boatmen, stationed at the Port of Belfast, are called upon to be on duty from sixteen to twenty hours at a time; whether complaints regarding the excessive length of these hours have been frequently made, and if resignations have been sent in solely in consequence thereof; and, if it would be possible to alter the rules and regulations of the service with regard to the hours of labour?
§ THE SECRETARY (Mr. JACKSON) (Leeds, N.), in reply, said, the rule with regard to Customs service with re- 1068 gard to boatmen was that they were liable to duty for the whole of each alternate day; but they were only employed when actually required. Ample opportunities for meals and rest were given, and there had been no complaints in Belfast, except in the case of one man who was appointed in February this year, and who left in July. There was no difficulty in getting any number of qualified men on the present conditions, and he saw no reason for making any change.