13 AUGUST 1921, Page 3

It is pointed out in our leading columns how important

it is that the Civil Service should not be underpaid, and shown that a liberal remuneration, intended to obtain the best brains for the public service, is not inconsistent with a stern economy. We want quality, not quantity, in the Civil Service. A strong economic reason against an over-large Civil Service, and so against large Government activity, is the fact that it is almost impossible to fix the remuneration of State employees. The trader can soon tell if his wages bill is ruining his business, and can pay more to the man who brings in custom than to the man who only waits till it is six o'clock. The Government has no such vital test at its disposal. State Departments cannot draw up Profit and Loss Accounts.