§ MR. SNOWDEN (Blackburn)To ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether, seeing that out of a classification of twenty-six superintendents in the Customs Service only eight have been promoted since the beginning of the year 1899; that some of them have been for years marking time at their maximum salary; that through changes which took place in 1899 some are actually receiving a smaller income to-day than they were ten years ago, though performing the same duties; that 69 per cent. of the superintendents entered the service by open competition and have spent an average of about sixteen years in charge of the smaller ports, he will explain why there is withheld from them a reasonable flow of promotion and less generous treatment given than is shown to any other grade in the department who entered the service under similar conditions.
§ if any dairy produce was sent in the same way during these years.
§ (Answered by Mr. Churchill.) The following statement gives the information desired by my hon. friend, so far as the particulars are available.
§ (Answered by Mr. Hobhouse.) When the present class of superintendents was created in 1898, the vested interests of the then existing staff had to be duly preserved and all officers who then or afterwards accepted the appointment have done so with full knowledge of the conditions and prospects. As a matter of fact, I understand that none of the superintendents now serving held that position prior to the reorganisation of 1898. As regards promotion the same rule applies to them as to other branches of the Customs Service, viz., that only those who have shown themselves properly qualified for promotion can be promoted, and for such there is a reasonable flow of promotion.