§ Mr. FIELDasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether the 93 abstractors and tabulators in the Customs Statistical Office who have been passed over by the nomination of Messrs. Rule, Gill, and Dampier are on the lowest permanent grade in the office; if so, are these 93 men unfit to be promoted to the next grade, although a number of them are engaged on special checking duties; have these 93 men had the same chance of exhibiting ability to perform work of a higher nature as the men who have been nominated; whether Messrs. Rule, Gill, and Dampier have been engaged on the most elementary work in the office; and how has their capacity for performing work of a higher nature outside the office been determined?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEAll the abstractors and tabulators in the Statistical Office who have been passed over by the selection of Messrs. Rule, Gill, and Dampier for special promotion to posts outside the office are on the lowest permanent clerical grade in the office. The fact that they have been so passed over does not necessarily imply that they are unfitted for promotion to the next higher grade in the office, namely, that of minor staff officer. They have had the same opportunity of exhibiting their ability to perform work of a higher nature as Messrs. Rule, Gill, and Dampier, who have been engaged on the ordinary work of the office. The qualifications of the latter for the special promotions in question have been recognised by their official superiors, who have opportunities of gauging their general intelligence and capacity.