§ MR. MURPHY (Kerry, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether 72 he is aware that the Customs General Order 25 of the 20th instant announces that the number of examining officer-ships will gradually be reduced by ninety-six, and that as a consequence the general body of assistants who entered from 1891 to 1895 will not receive the salaries of examining officers until their twelfth year's service; and whether, in view of the fact that before the reorganisation assistants were promoted to examining officerships after nine years service, he will guarantee that this limit shall not be exceeded for the remainder of those at present in the class.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINIt is true that the number of examining officers will be gradually reduced by ninety-six, but steps have been taken which will have the effect of safeguarding the interests of the assistants who are near their turn for promotion. The general body of assistants will proceed as now in the assistants' scale until they reach the maximum of £105, but after spending a year at the maximum they will, if fully qualified in all respects, be paid on the scale of second-class examining officers, and will be ranked as such as vacancies occur in the class. The assistants who during the last few months have been promoted to the rank of examining officer, second class, have each had, at the time of their promotion, a service (as outdoor officer and assistant) of between nine and ten years. No guaranteed rate of promotion existed prior to the reorganisation, neither can any such guarantee be given for the future; but it is not expected that the interests of assistants generally will be materially affected.