§ MR. THEOBALDI beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the Treasury what system of marking was adopted at the recent "Further Examination" held for 40 places as First Class Examining Officers of Customs; what were the qualifying percentages of marks fixed in each branch by the Commissioners of Customs; has an official record been kept of the questions and answers as at oral examinations for analogous positions 1475 in the Inland Revenue; was the further examination conducted in accordance with the precedents in other branches of the Public Service as recommended by Treasury Minute, 24th March, 1891; and what basis of comparison was adopted in the absence of identity of questions, identity of examiners, and equality of time, in order to determine the relative merits of the 47 candidates who were examined?
§ SIR J. T. HIBBERTThe examination was held in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Treasury Minute of the 24th March, 1891. Such marks were assigned as the answers of candidates warranted, and the basis of comparison lay, of course, in the judgment of the examiners. As much of the examination was practical, no official record of question and answer was kept, nor do I see any reason for keeping such record or comparison with Inland Revenue departmental examinations.