SOME OF THE NATION'S CURIOUS EXPENSES.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 8918, 15 June 1897, Page 1

SOME OF THE NATION'S CURIOUS EXPENSES.

Mr J. Holt Scoolinjy, in un mrtlcla on •'John Ball's Bounce Sheet," in the April Windsor, lets his readers into some of the secrete of the nation's expendi'ore. For PTample, the turncock at Buckingham Palace gets L8 % ye*r for acting an rnt-c»tcher ; the rat-catcher at Windsor C*sMe is down on the E tlm>tes for LlO a year • 'he charwoman who wnrks every chy at Windsor C**tle go* L3sper annam — "my, 2* * diy • the pnpply <>f oil lamps fo 1 * committee-rooms » n^ f° r °tber rooms In 'he Hoaoe of Parliament bniHine» U estima'eda' L9OO for the carrenfc year, although thousands are »Uo spt aside for the purpose of providing gig tnd elPCtric J Hght. The co«t of B>*ft for carppt-bentirg, laying, etc., in the Hon«e of Par inmenr ia nut down at L7OO ; the mere maintenance of th» refreshment plant, House nf Commons (glasa, China, crockery, efc,)i co-tn L2BO. But the list might be multiplied almost indefinitely. The provlMon of waerRnf'eninK apparatan for boilers in the Royal Oourta of Justice Ja L 25 0; the paper for maps and the printers ink used in tho nnrreyg of the United Kingdom oo?t L 550 0; three French polishers for Ireland cost 15a to 33a per week ; dusting books in tha library of the House of Lords L5O, and thera ar<> H housemaids for the L^rd Great Chamberlain at 14? to 19a a week each. All these items, and hosts of other sundries are to be found in the big white book called " Estimates for Civil Settees for the year ending 31<?t Mirch, 1897," »nd they all serre to tell ns of the v^ry varied nature of tha Civil Service, which tat up to an aggregate of iiearly L20,000,0u0 sterling.

Th» world's nafias number 2291 warThirteen millions sterling U the yearly value of pobatoes grown In the Uuited Kingdom. Tne largest and most famou" rnby In the world forma parb of the Inoptri»l State Crown made for Queen Victoria in 1838. It> is believed that this ruby wu worn in front of tb« balmat of Henry T at Agtsaoart,