HC Deb 26 October 1920 vol 133 cc1551-2
49. Mr. ROBERT YOUNG

asked the First Lord of the Treasury whether, seeing that there is at present only one clerk in a supervisory position in the engineer-in-chief's mechanical engineering drawing office, General Post Office, two additional clerks are to be sought out from the survivors of the old régime for recruitment to prospective supervisory positions in that office; whether he is aware that the character of the draughting work in that drawing office has completely changed since these clerks were superseded many years ago by mechanical engineering draughtsmen recruited from commercial firms of standing; and whether he will decide that a proper administrative policy would be effected if in all Government engineering drawing offices the higher' posts of chief draughtsmen and assistant chief draughtsmen were recruited from the draughtsmen class rather than from the officers of the old régime now engaged on clerical duties?

The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Baldwin)

There is no question of seeking out two additional clerks from the survivors of the old régime for recruitment to prospective supervisory positions in the engineer-in-chief's mechanical engineering drawing office, General Post Office, as the two 2nd Class Clerks to whom the appointments will naturally fall are already in occupation, one in the Designs Section and the other in the Lines Section. These officers are both fully qualified draughtsmen, and are the men best fitted for the controlling posts. It is the normal rule to recruit the higher posts of chief draughtsmen and assistant chief draughtsmen in Government engineering drawing offices from the draughtsmen class.

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