12. Mr. WARDasked the Postmaster-General in what manner the second-class engineer's certificate granted by the Civil Service Commissioners to university men is superior to the second-class certificate granted by that body to the ordinary Post Office engineers; and what justification is there for inferring that the men already in the service, who had already passed the Civil Service examination imposed upon them, would not have passed the test imposed upon the university men had they been called upon to do so?
§ Captain NORTONThe "ordinary Post Office engineers" referred to are presumably the sub-engineers who passed the examination for admission to the former second class of engineers. That examination was merely qualifying and not competitive, and was not of the same character as that for the new class of assistant engineers for which a higher standard of qualifications was required. It was open to the redundant sub-engineers and second-class engineers to compete at the examination for assistant engineers, and the age limit was specially waived in their favour; but they did not avail themselves of the opportunity.
§ Mr. CHIOZZA MONEYIs it not a fact that my hon. Friend told us recently that the system of recruiting from the university had to be discontinued because he did not get the right kind of men?
§ Captain NORTONYes, Sir. What I had in mind then was the class of candidates we got prior to 1907. Since then we have altered the scheme, and the recruits have been generally satisfactory.