§ Mr. FIELDasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether he can state when the last promotion from the minor staff officer lass to a junior clerkship was made in the Customs Statistical Office; how many new class assistant clerks were at that time serving in the Statistical Office who had refused nominations for promotion to port clerkships; and, in view of the fact that an assistant clerk who is offered a nomination for port clerkship is stated to have capacity to perform work of a different and higher type than minor staff officers, will he state why the last vacancy for a junior clerk was filled by promotion from the minor staff officer class, having regard to the number of assistant clerks of exceptional merit who had refused promotion to port clerkships?
§ Mr. HOBHOUSEThe last promotion from the minor staff officer class to a junior clerkship in the Statistical Office was made in November, 1910. Four new class assistant clerks who had refused promotion to port clerkships outside were then serving in the office. The qualifications for promotion to higher positions in the Statistical Office cannot be properly compared with the qualifications for promotion to the general service outside, because the whole character and conditions of the work are different.