THE BEST SERVANTS OF THE STATE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1499, 23 July 1912, Page 7

THE BEST SERVANTS OF THE STATE.

HOW LORD UAI.DANE WOULD FIND THKif. How is the Stale going to find "tho exceptional man" for its work:', Tho question was raircd by tlis British Koyal Commission on Civil Service Appointment?, which recently issued the first report of its evidence taken in private. Lord llaldane said on tho whole he was satisfied with a purely educational (est for the higher service, though it was not everything' that could bo desired. Tho young English university would presently begin to pour out the highly-edu-cated persons desired, but until that time, came we must look to such universities as there are, ami no doubt Oxford and Cambridge, to supply a good si ream of them.

I Lord Haitian!! was asked by what means would the superior education be best attained, and he replied: "The ideal .system of universitv education would, to my mind, if it were pes. siblo, be what I have been familial' with in Scotland. There, the son of a working man, thanks to the old rooted system of elementary ctlutiition and the much move complete system of secondary education than exists in Kngland. ha- a chance of rising from the rinks through (lie '.••con-' dnry .school, or through tile extension ,::f the primary school that wo have there to the univorsity. 1 have sat side, by side in classrooms with the sen ol a ploughman, anil a vorv clover fellow lift was in'many caw-. I 'have al-o seen the Boirof a ploughman rise up and get a university degree, and come hack lo 1)5 doing manual-labour because he was at any rate not. a M.-flieionlly clever fellow to make full \\*s of his opportunities. T have known men who have been at the univorsity working at manual work inScotland ;' Ihey come back lo the circnm stances out of which tlicy ro.-e. If vol ' could have that system dcvcloned veri . much you would get the perfect systeni. Von would get an equal opportunity lor everybody, which 1 think "is the veal foundation of democracy. You would give the son of the workman his chance, if he had it in him, to get the highest: university .(raining, and to go' into amof the professions -or lo become one of the highest division clerks; y.n would., get Ihe breaking down of the 'distinction between classes in many ■-ases. YVo are very far from that, in England at the present lime, but we are imnrnvini. . T havo sympathy with everything that gives the greatest number of neonle a chance." Questioned by Mi*s Hnltlniie. bis vie ler, Lord llaldane said he found difficult! in making un his mind whelh.-r women in the higher posts Mwuld receive equal i pay with men. It mighl be that a man must be paid not the cost of producing him. but so'.netbimj extra that would encourage him to have a wife ami familv ;.. 11,, of tho Stele. But he thought that the lesser of two evils wes to pay a woman or the same level as mon,