CIVIL SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 144, 21 June 1930, Page 14

CIVIL SERVICE

SOME BIG FIGURES

BRITAIN'S BILL

The revelation that' England has now one State official for every 100 of the population, including men, women, and children, led to questions in Parliament and an ingenuous attempt: by "the Treasury to discredit the accuracy of the figures given (states the "Daily Mail'?). ' ',' ■''-•-'

In a reply to Sir George Penny, tho Financial Secretary (Mr. Pethick-Law rence) stated that,it was estimated that there were about 74,000 "salaried Civil Servants," representing 0.17 per cent, of 44,504,000, the estimated population of Great, Britain in. 19.29,..0r-1- t0,600.

There is a vast difference between a proportion of 1 to 100 and 1 to 600. \7hy. did the . Financial Secretary or the-Treasury official who gave him'the figures base his proportion' on the number of "salaried CiVil servants"?

In giving the rough estimate ox 1 to 100, we did not confine our calculation to Civil servants, "salaried" or otherwise. We used the -words "State officials, "that is, we included all Civil employees. ... ■ ..>-.■'. In showing the rising tide of expenditure, it. matters nothing whether-a man is on salary or wages, whether he is established or unestablished, industrial or manipulative,; so long as the money comes out of tho Imperial' Exchequer. <" If it comes to that, a postman, though reckoned among ihe manipulative classes, is a Civil servant. . Why uid not the Financial Seecretary in giving this proportion to the House of Commons of 1 to 600 include the postmen? Are they not paid'by the State? : ONE TO NINETY-EIOHT. Now we have tho complete official figures, and can check the accuracy of the "Daily- Mail" proportion of 1 to 100. ■ On Ist January, 1930, the number of Civil employees of all 'kinds was 434,----368. The total population of Great jtsritain at the Jast Census .was 42,769,----000. The ratio of Civil employees of the- State works out therefore as 1 to 98—which is a higher proportion to population than was given. Last year the estimated population of Great Britain was given in tho Treasury reply as 44,504)000. Even if we take this increase of population as correct, the ratio of State;employees is still 1 to 102. . ' ■ The statements as to cost aj well as personnel were confirmed by the Litest official return in reply to a question by Mr. Rhys Davies, M.P. The cost of our Civil establishments in salaries and wages in 1928-29 reached the stupendous figure of £83,422,----600. In 191344 it was only £36,750,----000. .. •-■'■".■' •■,:':■-, ; No two financial landmarks could better illustrate the rakes progress-of. the politicians since tho war, and the utter futility of the "Treasury as the watchdog of tho public purse. ■ That futility, has been most marked sinco the Treasury, engulfed in tnr rising tide of extravagance, became a spendug department itself. From that moment-the nation "'lost its. greatest financial safeguard. ''■■"■ The flood gates-are 'now .open for the political bribery of the electorate.