§ MR. CONYBEARE(for Mr. CUNNINGHAME GRAHAM) (Lanark, N. W.)asked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether it is a fact that at the Port of Liverpool there are 30 officers of Customs employed on boarding duty; and whether, while on board ship, they are required to be on deck for 24 consecutive hours every alternate day, and 12 consecutive hours every other day, with a short interval for meals; and, if so, whether the Treasury will issue instructions to the Board of Customs to lessen the hours of labour of these officials?
§ THE SECRETARY (Mr. JACKSON) (Leeds, N.)There are 30 outdoor officers of Customs employed with others at Liverpool on boarding duty, such as was formerly done by officers called tide-waiters. This duty is simply that of guarding against contraband goods being surreptitiously put over the side of a ship, and involves at Liverpool no labour; and it rarely happens that 1747 officers are kept on one ship for more than three days at a time. These officers are not required to be on deck for more than 18 hours on an average at a time, and that only in extreme cases. From that period there must be deducted meal hours and occasional leave as well. It may very occasionally happen from the nature of the duty that an officer is required to give the attendance referred to in the Question; but in such cases compensation is almost always given in the form of extra leave.