28 SEPTEMBER 1945, Page 4

One interchange in the course of the last meeting has

a certain mathematical interest—at any rate, to a non-mathematician like myself. The questioner is the Chairman of the Committee, Sir Robert Young, the respondent the First Parliamentary Counsel to the Treasury, Sir Granville Ram.

" What staff have you now, Sir Granville? "

" Of Parliamentary counsel there are six ; among assistants to the Parliamentary 'counsel there are vacancies at the moment, but the establishment is eight."

" Is that 13? "

" Yes."

Well, it's their arithmetic. (Perhaps 12 and two half-wits.)

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