In our opinion the matter is one of political and
ministerial delicacy and public discussion should never have arisen in regard to it. Clearly a Cabinet Minister dealing with the tremendous issues involved in the supervision of the Government of our Indian Empire can have no time to spare for the Press unless he neglects his primary duties. It ought to be as unthinkable for a Secretary of State to write for a newspaper as for him to accept a brief in court with its attendant fee. Our small knot of ruling men should not have the double allegiance involved in being in the pay of the State and of private individuals. A note from the Prime Minister calling his colleague's attention to these facts should be sufficient to end the matter. Our elastic system of Cabinet government is much more effectively con- trolled by etiquette and good feeling than by hard and fast rules.
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