§ Mr. MOUNTasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he was aware that the age limit for the examination for appointment as Officer of Customs and Excise (to be held in February next) had just been reduced from twenty-two years to twenty-one years; and whether, in view of the fact that less than four months' notice of such reduction had been given, and that candidates who would under that age limit now be debarred from competing, had been spending time and money in preparing for the examination under the understanding that they were eligible to compete, he would see that exception should be made in such cases, or that the reduction in the age limit was suspended till twelve months after the date of the notice of such reduction?
Mr. McKINNON WOODThe examination to be held in February is the first examination for the new grade of Officer of Customs and Excise. Definite warning was given by the Civil Service Commissioners on each of the three occasions since the beginning of the year 1910 on which an examination was held for the old grades of Assistant of Customs and of Excise, and also in the published abstract of regulations for examination that no announcement could be made as to the limits of age at future examinations. But after careful consideration I have decided to allow the former age limits to apply to the examination to be held in February next.