§ COLONEL WELBY (Taunton)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India, with reference to the regulation that candidates for the Indian Staff Corps must not be more than 25 years old, and must 267 have served at least one year in a European regiment, whether he can see his way to extending the age limit by two or three years in the case of officers promoted from the ranks, as this regulation shuts out the greater number of these, owing to the length of time they have to serve in the ranks before obtaining a commission.
§ * LORD G. HAMILTONThe maximum limit of age for admission to the Indian Staff Corps was adopted in the general interests of the Service, and I do not think it expedient to extend it in order to facilitate the admission of a particular class of officers, which would have the effect of excluding officers of a more suitable age. There is an ample supply of officers under the present conditions—in fact, there is considerable competition for admission to the Indian Staff Corps.