The new Civil Service Estimates, published on Wednesday, amount to
£460,900,585, as compared with £809,181,953 for the financial year now ending. We are invited by the Govern- ment's advocates to admire the zeal for economy displayed in these Estimates. But it is idle to take the extravagant expenditure of this year as a basis for comparison. The Morning Post is on safer ground when it reminds us that in 1913-14 the Civil Services cost only £84,000,000, or less than a fifth of their present cost. The depreciation of money obviously does not explain the enormous increase. Over £50,000,000 is wanted in 1921-22 for " services arising out of the war," and £111,555,666 is required for war pensions ; but even if we deduct these vast sums the Civil Services are seen to cost nearly tour times as much as before the war. We must
repeat, however, that economy will not be attained by the comparative method. Until the total expenditure is fixed with due regard to the taxable capacity of the nation, and until the departments are rationed within that total, the cause of national thrift will make no real headway.
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