Though a certain portion of the scheme of Civil Service
Reform will thus have to stand over till next year, there are several alterations proposed by the Commissioners for which the sanction of Parliament is not required. These have been embodied in a Treasury Minute which was published on Friday, and will take effect at once, or rather, as soon as the necessary Order in Council has been obtained. Though we cannot attempt to summarise the whole of this document, which is in effect almost a new constitution for the Civil Service, one or two of the most important changes may be mentioned. Though certain stipends are to be fixed at a higher starting-point and raised more liberally, and the holders made eligible for retiring allowances, the general tendency of the minute is to tighten the rules of service. A seven-hours' working day is made compulsory, no work which interferes with his official duties is to be undertaken by any public servant, and promotion by merit is to be substituted for promotion by seniority. No doubt we shall hear plenty of criticisms on the scheme, for the Civil Servants are not a class to keep quiet when such a chance of complaining as this is afforded them. On the whole, however, we believe the pro- posed changes to be sound.
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