§ Civil Services.
§ THE services for which provision is made in the Civil Service Estimates may be roughly divided into two large groups.
§ (1.) The first group comprises those services which, having been once established by Act of Parliament, or otherwise, grow, as a rule, in cost year after year, under the influence of increasing population or the automatic effect of regulations laid down for their administration. The growth of such services is independent of any action of the Government so long as the regulations under which they are administered remain unaltered; and any alteration which has been made in the last 20 years has generally been on the side of augmentation. The control exercised by the Government over the Estimates for these services is, in fact, limited to satisfying themselves that sufficient, and not more than sufficient, provision is made for them according to the best moans available for calculating expenditure, which must, at best, be somewhat uncertain. In 1868–69 the total of such services did not much exceed £2,340,000; in the current year they amount to at least £8,830,000, an increase of £6,490,000, of which above £2,000,000 has been added from time to time by fresh grants in relief of local rates, but the rest is due to automatic growth.
465| The principal items of this class in the current and the ensuing year are as follows:— | ||||
| — | 1888–89. | 1887–88. | 1888–89. | |
| Increase. | Decrease. | |||
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Rates on Government Property, Contributions in lieu of. | 228,848 | 226,105 | 2,743 | — |
| Roads, Contributions to | 295,000 | *571,500 | — | 276,500 |
| Poor Laws, Grants in Aid under | 369,690 | 369,910 | — | 220 |
| Criminal Prosecutions, Repayments to Counties and Boroughs. | 138,000 | 135,000 | 3,000 | — |
| County Courts, Remuneration of Registrars and High Bailiffs. | 370,570 | 343,635 | 26,935 | — |
| Metropolitan Police Fund, Contribution to | 579,220 | 571,320 | 7,900 | — |
| Police, County and Borough, Great Britain, Contribution to Charge of. | 1,023,200 | 1,005,500 | 700 | — |
| Reformatories and Industrial Schools, Allowance for Inmates of. | 380,063 | 380,082 | — | 19 |
| Education, Science and Art, Payments by Results. | 4,652,187 | 4,493,985 | 158,202 | — |
| Pauper Lunatics, Allowance for | 687,460 | 681,300 | 6,160 | — |
| Savings Banks and Friendly Societies Deficiency. | 60,013 | 51,259 | 8,754 | — |
| Total £ | 8,784,251 | 8,829,596 | 231,394 | 276,739 |
| Decrease | £45,345 | |||
| * The rate of contribution was doubled for this year only. |
§ To understand correctly the significance of the relative expenditure provided for in the two years, the temporary increase of the Road Grants in the year 1887–88 should be excluded from the comparison, when it will be seen that the automatic increase which has to be provided for in 1888–89 amounts to £231,155.
§ (2.) The second group comprises those services over which, except so far as they are affected by the exigencies of business, the Government may be regarded as exercising effective control. The amounts which come under this group are as follows:—
467| 1888–89. | 1887–88. | Increase. | Decrease. | |
| £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Class I.—Works and Buildings | 1,199,490 | 1,208,337 | — | 8,847 |
| Class II.—Civil Departments | 2,057,518 | 2,099,753 | — | 42,235 |
| Class III.—Law and Justice | 3,816,477 | 3,867,518 | — | 51,041 |
| Class IV.—Education, Science and Art | 1,085,857 | 1,080,193 | 5,664 | — |
| Class V.—Foreign and Colonial | 616,868 | 617,350 | — | 482 |
| Class VI.—Non-Effective | 512,305 | 515,557 | — | 3,252 |
| Class VII.—Miscellaneous | 72,527 | 121,578 | — | 49,051 |
| £ | 9,361,042 | 9,510,286 | 5,664 | 154,908 |
| Net Decrease | £149,244 |
§ There is thus a reduction of £149,244 in the provision made next year for those services over which control is retained in the hands of the Government.
§ Another correction should, however, be made before proceeding to analyze this reduction. The term of the Irish Land Commission expires, under the Act 44 & 45 Vict. c. 49, upon the 22nd August next, and consequently, pending its extension by Parliament, provision has only been made in the Estimates for expenditure up to that date. If full provision had been made a further sum of £54,116 would have had to be included in the Estimates; and if this sum be taken into account in anticipation of the renewal of the term of the Commission, the effective reduction of those Estimates which are under the control of the Government as compared with those of the current year would be £94,426.
§ The principal fluctuations which have produced this result are as follows:—