§ Mr. GOLDSTONEasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that in his evidence before the Customs and Excise Amalgamation Committee, Sir L. N. Guillemard, K.C.B., chairman of the Board of Customs and Excise, recommended that the most junior grade in each branch of the amalgamated departments, that is, Customs port clerks, second class, lower section, assistants of Customs and assistants of Excise, should be given some immediate increase in salary to compensate for the loss of the jump in salary they would have had on promotion in their former services; whether he is aware that the jump in salary that could reasonably have been 1701W expected by the senior Customs port clerks was far greater than that commonly obtaining in the case of either Customs or Excise assistants; and whether he will explain why the recommendation of the chairman of the Board of Customs and Excise was adopted in regard to assistants of Customs and assistants of Excise but ignored in the case of Customs port clerks?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe chairman of the Board of Customs and Excise stated in evidence that some measure of special consideration should be given to lower section clerks on absorption into the new officer grade. The committee, after hearing all the evidence, decided to give that special consideration to these clerks in the shape of a special maximum of £400—i.e., £100 above the officers' maximum. This concession, I may point out, was not extended to the other classes referred to in the question—namely, Customs and Excise assistants.