§ Mr. HARRY LAWSONasked the Secretary to the Treasury whether there was on the Committee of Selection appointed by the Insurance Commission a member of the Board of Customs and Excise who, prior to the amalgamation, was a member of the Excise service; whether there was on the Committee any representative who belonged to the Customs service prior to amalgamation; and, if not, in view of the fact that out of thirty Civil servants appointed to inspectors and assistant inspectors fourteen appointments had been made from the Excise branch of the service against one officer from the Customs branch placed on the reserve list for such appointments, he would arrange on any future committee of selection for the Customs branch to be represented by an officer of equal Departmental standing with the representative of the Excise branch of the service?
§ Mr. MASTERMANI presume the hon. Member refers to the Committee of Selection for the Outdoor Staff of the Commissions. The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative, and to the last two parts in the negative. The Committee of Selection consisted of five members; it was nominated jointly by the Commission, and included representatives of two other public Departments besides the Board of Customs and Excise, and its 2065W chairman was the First Civil Service Commissioner. The suggestion contained in this question that one branch of the Customs and Excise service did not receive fair treatment is an entirely improper reflection upon the work of this Committee.