The Gwernment has appointed a strong Commission, with Sir Matthew
Ridley as chairman, to inquire into the expenditure The Gwernment has appointed a strong Commission, with Sir Matthew Ridley as chairman, to inquire into the expenditure
-of the civil branches of the spending services. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in a minute recommending the inquiry, points out that there has been no general investigation, though there have been special inquiries, since 1848. The increase of expense has, however, been great, the Army and Navy Estimates having risen from £17 1A000 to £31,226,000, the Civil Estimates from £6,464,000 to £19,771,00, and the charges for revenue collection from £3,963,000 to £10,554,000. Of course, much of this in- crease is due to new departments, like Education and Telegraphs; but Lord Randolph Churchill doubts if every means has been taken to reduce expenditure, and thinks that as there is no one interested in making a profit by saving State expense, periodic revisions are advisable. The Commission will inquire into the cost of the staffs, the system of pensions, the result of -the reorganisation ordered by the Playfair Commission, and apparently, though this is not distinctly stated, State pur- chases. Lord Randolph Churchill has shown foresight in appointing this Commission. The new House of Commons betrays a strong disposition, in a vague and feeble way, to cut -down expenditure, and the increasing pressure of the times will probably lead to a strong demand for retrenchment. He is careful to say that he has no distrust of the Services ; but the tendency of all Establishments is to grow, especially in the num- bers of employs. The public, too, has a passion for multiplying departments, "essential to an advancing civilisation," and re- quires to be shown that in States, as on estates, " improvement "
• is often very costly. We only wish a similar Commission could be issued to inquire into the ever-growing outlay for municipal purposes.
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