asked the President of the Board of Education how many special increments have been awarded during the past five years to the second division clerks and the assistant clerks, respectively, in the Board's service; whether he is aware that the Treasury has expressed willingness to consider recommendations for special increments to assistant clerks; and whether he will invite heads of sections to make recommendations of deserving assistant clerks with a view to granting them special increments?

During the past five years forty-seven special increments have been awarded to second division clerks and four to assistant clerks. The Board have taken every opportunity of recommending assistant clerks to the Treasury for special increments and have done their utmost to render their applications successful. Heads of sections are constantly invited to make recommendations on behalf of assistant clerks who are eligible for the award of special increments, but no assistant clerk is eligible who has not been for five years at the maximum salary of his class.

also asked the President of the Board of Education whether, before making the recent appointments to junior examinerships in the Board of Education, he carefully considered the question of filling the vacancies by promotion from officers in the clerical grades in his Department; and, if so, whether it is to be understood that amongst the 600 odd members of those grades there is no officer capable of performing the duties of junior examiner?

The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With reference to the second part of the question, I am satisfied that the three persons recently appointed are better suited to do the work of a junior examiner, and that their selection was in the interest of the public service. The hon. Member is aware that my choice from among the officers of the clerical staff for appointment as junior examiners is at present limited by a Treasury rule under which promotion may involve a considerable loss of salary.

asked the President of the Board of Education whether his office is the only large Department of the State employing a greater number of assistant clerks than second division clerks; whether he will state the percentage of increase of the two classes for each year from 1st January, 1900, to 1st January, 1913, inclusive; and whether the Board will consider, in view of the increasing importance of the clerical work, a readjustment of the numbers of the two classes?

I am unable to answer the first part of the question in so far as it relates to Departments other than my own. In my Department the authorised establishment of assistant clerks exceeds that of second division (including minor staff) clerks by ten, but the actual number of second division clerks employed (including those employed on temporary duty) is and has been since 1902 in excess of the number of assistance clerks employed. The percentage of increase (or decrease) of the two classes in each year since 1st April, 1900, on which date the Board of Education came into existence, has been as follows:—

Year.	Establishment of Second Division Clerks (including Minor Staff Clerks).	Percentage Of Increase or Decrease on Previous Year.	Establishment of Assistant Clerks.	Percentage of Increase or Decrease on Previous Year.
1900	158	—	180
1901	162	+ 2.53	208	+ 15.56
1902	166	+ 2.47	207	-48
1903	169	+ 1.81	249	+ 20.29
1904	184	+ 8 88	244	- 2.01
1905	192	+ 4.35	250	+ 2.46
1906	193	+52	250	—
1907	224	+ 16.1	281	+ 12.40
1908	226	+89	283	+71
1909	226	—	288	+ 1.77
1910	267	+ 18.14	299	+ 3.82
1911	265	-75	313	+4.68
1912	328	+ 23.77	333	+ 6.39
1913	328	—	338	+ 1.50

The question of the proper adjustment of the numbers in the clerical grades to the needs of the work receives the constant consideration of the Board, but I may remind the hon. Member that the determination of the numbers in each class rests with the Treasury.

asked the President of the Board of Education what payments were made by his Department during the financial years 1905–6, 1906–7, 1907–8, 1908–9, 1909–10, 1910–11, 1911–12, and the expired portion of 1912–13, to Members of Parliament being barristers, giving the name and amount in each case?

Apart from salaries paid to the Parliamentary Heads of the Department no payments have been made by the Board of Education to Members of Parlia- ment being barristers during the years mentioned in the question.