HOW TO ECONOMIZE
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sue,—May I express the hope that the article in your issue of April 23rd is only a commencement of an economy cam- paign? The promised discontinuance of three Ministries (twc of which are certainly quite useless) would be hopeful if one could be sure it did not mean a mere transference of staffs to other Departments.
To be told that the scrapping of the Ministry of Transport means a mere infinitesimal saving is surprising ! What about the appointment of the ten or twelve Commissioners, each at £1,000 per annum, plus £200 office expenses and travelling expenses, each given a district for the purpose of supervising the work of the Highways Committees of County Councils, Rural District Councils, Urban District Councils, &e., within the districts assigned to the said Commissioners ?
At the time these appointments were made my Council (on
my initiative) passed a very strong resolution protesting that : " It was a needless extravagance, and we as able business men did not require either advice or assistance from outside sources, and the excellence of our highways was evidence of this." I believe that some three weeks later Liverpool, Preston, or one of the large Councils in the North of England passed a similar resolution. Ours was sent to our county member of Parliament and to the Ministry of Transport.
I agree that extreme caution should be exercised in econo-
mizing over the " Services," but, Sir, what use can we make of the " Services " if we find ourselves, as we are at the moment, entirely minus the capital funds to carry out any even small campaign that may be forced upon us ? Arc we asked to suppose that the " Services " can and are prepared to carry on without that fundamental necessity, " Finance I am, Sir, &e., ERNEST C. S. WILLIAMS. 1 Murdoch Road, Wokinghaen, Berks.
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