§ 56. Mr. THEODORE TAYLORasked whether, in the Customs and Excise Department, there are available for service in Government Departments as assistant clerks (abstractor class) a few youths still serving as boy clerks and ineligible on various grounds for the Army who successfully passed the examination for assistant clerkships in January, 1916; whether women have been appointed since that date to fill vacancies which in the usual course would have been filled by these youths, who are consequently retained in the position of boy clerks and deprived of the higher salary which would have been theirs as established clerks; and whether he will take steps to have such youths promoted without delay?
§ Mr. BALDWIN (Lord of the Treasury)There are three boy clerks ineligible for military service now serving in the Customs and Excise Department, who successfully passed the examination for assistant clerkships in January, 1916. No appointments as assistant clerk have recently been made in the Customs and Excise Department, as the vacancies have 1719 been kept in reserve for boys on military service senior to the boys in question, and have therefore been temporarily filled by women clerks; but extra vacancies have now occurred, which may make it possible for the Civil Service Commissioners to assign the boys in question to assistant clerkships without prejudice to their seniors.