MR. MACDONALD CAMERON&c.) (Wick,asked Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, Whether it is true that the Board of Inland Revenue is reducing in any way the staffs both of the indoor and outdoor departments with a view to economizing the expenditure upon these departments; whether, in connection with the outdoor department, an Order has been recently issued stopping all promotion pending these contemplated alterations; whether, in the forthcoming re-organizations of these Services, it is contemplated to compensate in any way those who suffer from their promotion being deferred to considerably longer periods than they were led to expect when entering the Service; and, whether, with a view to increasing the efficiency of the said Services, and doing away with a widespread cause of complaint in a hard-worked and highly deserving branch of the Revenue Service, the Government will urge upon the Board the necessity there is for formulating some scheme whereby the junior officers and assistants of Excise may look with somewhat more certainty to increments of salary after certain definite periods of service?
THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GOSCHES) (St. George's Hanover Square)Large reforms 1739 the Inland Revenue Service, both indoor and outdoor, are under consideration, which will, I believe, promote both efficiency and economy. I have no reason to believe that the prospects of any member of the Service will be injuriously affected by the changes under consideration.