§ Mr. ALDENasked the Secretary to the Treasury, in view of the fact that assistant clerks in the Customs Statistical Office were promised in Treasury Letter 14756/1899 a prospect of advancement not inferior to that enjoyed by similar officers elsewhere, whether he can state why, in view of this promise, the proportion of promotions from new class assistant clerks in the Statistical Office compares so unfavourably with the Savings Bank Department, Education Office, and other large Departments?
Mr. McKINNON WOODThe Treasury letter conveyed no promise that the ratio of promotions to be made from the assistant clerks' grade in the Customs Statistical Office should correspond with that in other Departments. Promotions must depend, as my predecessor informed the hon. Member for the St. Patrick's Division of Dublin on 8th March, 1909, upon the circumstances of the different Departments.
§ Mr. STEPHEN COLLINSasked the Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that Mr. Chandler, a junior assistant clerk in the Customs and Excise Statistical Office, has been nominated for appointment to a junior clerkship in that office; that Mr. Chandler will thereby pass over the whole of the class of minor staff officers who are senior to him in position and many years of service and experience, and obtain an immediate increase of salary of £50; and if he will state what are the special qualifications possessed by Mr. 669W Chandler above those of the minor staff officers which have secured for him this advancement?
Mr. McKINNON WOODPromotions of assistant clerks and minor staff clerks to the rank of junior clerk in the Statistical Office are made solely on the ground of exceptional merit. Mr. Chandler was selected for the recent vacancy on that ground, and in arriving at this decision consideration was given to the qualifications of all the minor staff clerks in the office.