§ MR. CAINE (Barrow)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether it is a fact that it is intended to bring the seven hours' system into operation in the Statistical Department of the Customs on April 1 next; and whether it is correctly understood that the majority of the lower division clerks at present employed there will in consequence be tranferred as far as possible to other offices?
§ MR. JACKSONIt is intended to bring the seven hours' system into partial operation in the Statistical Office of the Customs, but the date on which the change is to be made has not yet been fixed. As a result of the new system a few clerks of the lower division, but not the majority, at present employed in that office, will be returned to the Civil Service Commission for employment in other offices. I may point out that where the seven hours is applied, and lower division clerks get additional pay for the additional hours, we expect a corresponding reduction in the number, otherwise the seven hours would involve considerably increased expenditure.