§ Mr. SNOWDENTo ask the Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that the Board of Inland Revenue has issued an order to the out-door staff declaring Friday the 28th instant to be a public holiday throughout the Department, that, notwithstanding, the out-door officers are required to perform their usual duties on that day; and will he consider the practicability of granting to such officers an additional day's leave at some other convenient time.
(Answered by Mr. Runciman.) As a general rule out-door officers are not required to perform duties on official holidays. But, when an official holiday is not also a general public holiday, excise officers are required to give such attendance as may be necessary to prevent interruption of business in warehouses and distilleries. It has not been the practice to give to the officers so attending an additional day's 83 leave at some other time, and, in view of the general conditions of the out-door service, it does not seem that such concession is called for.