§ MR. A. O'CONNORI beg to ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it has been brought to his notice that much dissatisfaction prevails in the Excise Service in respect of the mode of conducting the examination for the position of Supervisor of Inland Revenue; whether the name and station of the candidate are written upon each paper sent in instead of numbers, so that the examiners are made aware of the author of each paper; whether it would be possible to arrange for the examination of the written answers by the Civil Service Commissioners, while the technical or Service portion of the examination is dealt with by the Somerset House authorities; and whether, in view of certain alleged irregularities at the last October examination, the candidates not then successful may be allowed to compete on the next occasion?
§ * THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER (Mr. GOSCHEN, St. George's, Hanover Square)I am not aware of the alleged existence of dissatisfaction in the Excise Service or of the occurrence of any irregularities at the last October examination for the position of Supervisor of Inland Revenue. It is the fact that the name and station of the candidate are written on his paper. The practice has been pursued for the last 40 years, and has never been objected to. The whole of the examination is technical, with the exception of book-keeping, the examination in which is conducted by a member of the Accountant General's Department, who is, practically, as much a stranger to the candidates as the Civil Service Commissioners themselves.