§ Mr. HART-DAVIESasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether the Bombay Government has recently addressed a recommendation to the Government of India that the Imperial Service should be re-opened to recruits from Indian colleges in accordance with the pledge given by the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Provinces at Ruski on 28th November, 1893?
1226Wstate sparately the number of steam and sailing ships respectively?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLThe following statement showing the tonnage of Steam Vessels (of 100 tons gross and upwards) and Sailing Vessels (of 100 tons net and upwards) owned in each of the undermentioned countries on the 30th June, 1908, has been compiled from Lloyd's Register Book:—
§ Mr. BUCHANANThe Secretary of State has no information regarding the recommendations referred to by my hon. Friend, but he will inquire.
§ Mr. HART-DAVIESasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he is aware that under the recent reorganisation scheme of the Public Works Department provincial engineers who accept the terms offered will have to wait 15 years to obtain executive rank, whereas Imperial engineers only have to wait eight years, and that the pay offered is even less than the two-thirds of the pay of the Imperial branch to which they (provincial engineers) were entitled; and whether many officers of the Public Works Department have refused to accept the new terms, and have been warned that they will receive no increase of pay and will have their names removed from the Imperial list?
§ Mr. BUCHANANIt is the fact that under the recent reorganisation scheme an Imperial engineer obtains executive rank after 8 years' service, and a provincial engineer after 15 years' service. With regard to the pay, the new organisation offers an improved scale to both services, but so far as the Secretary of State is aware, no fixed proportion of the Imperial scale has ever been laid down for the provincial engineers. The Secretary of State has not received any report 1227W from the Government of India on the manner in which the new conditions of service have been received, or as to how officers already in the service who did not accept the new conditions have been dealt with, but he will ask the Government of India for a report on the whole subject.
§ Mr. HART-DAVIESasked whether the attention of the Secretary of State for India has been called to the Order of the Government of India, No. 997 E, dated 6th June, 1908, addressed to the Government of the Punjab; and whether, seeing that these Orders conflict with Government of India Resolution 2112 G, dated 19th July, 1892, which contains the conditions under which the provincial engineers entered Government service, and under which engineers trained in Indian colleges, to the number of 10, were brought on the Imperial list, he will say what steps he proposes to take in the matter?
§ Mr. BUCHANANIn introducing the new organisation of the Department, the Government of India will no doubt pay due regard to the reasonable claims of officers already in the service. In replying to another question on the paper, I have stated that the Secretary of State will ask the Government of India for a report on the subject.