§ Mr. FFRENCHasked the Postmaster-General why the whole or any of the first forty second-class engineers should not be advanced to the position of assistant engineers provided that the men are recognised as efficient and possess a clean record; is he aware that dissatisfaction prevails amongst these men owing to the fact that they have not received the promotion to which they believe themselves entitled; and will he endeavour to remove its cause?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELAs I have already announced, I have found myself able to advance forty-four additional second-class engineers to the new class of assistant engineers. The officers selected are the senior men who can be regarded as reaching the necessary standard of efficiency. The standard of efficiency required in the case of assistant engineers is considerably higher than that which was required in the case of second-class engineers and the number of posts smaller, and it was never contemplated that the whole body of second-class engineers would be advanced to the new class.