To return to Parliament, the Post Office Estimates were discussed in the Commons on April 30. The Postmaster-General stated that the expenditure was 26,150,000_l._, an increase of 1,770,000_l._, due to the increased pay of the employees. The estimated revenue was 31,750,000_l._, but the debt was 31,600,000_l._ The postal service proper showed a profit of 6,250,000_l._; the telegraphs a loss of 350,000_l._, the telephones a profit of 300,000_l._ Pay of employees would be increased by about 2,000,000_l._ partly because of the Report of the Holt Committee (A.R., 1913, p. 255). But there would also be a minimum wage of 22_s._ per week for every full-time employee in Great Britain. The Post Office dealt with 3,470,000,000 letters yearly, and the surplus of its savings bank deposits over withdrawals was 12,000,000_l._ and the profit 160,000_l._ annually. He recommended legislation against the transmission of betting circulars, of which vast quantities were sent by English bookmakers established in Switzerland. The subsequent debate dealt mainly with the alleged inadequacy of the Holt Report; the Committee had found that the cost of living had risen 11.3 per cent., but had awarded a rise of wages averaging 4-1/2 per cent. at once, and eventually 7 per cent. Mr. Pointer (Lab.) said the postal servants would accept the decision of a Board of Arbitration on this portion of the Report. Mr. Holt (L.), Chairman of the Committee, condemned the claim of the employees for a 15 per cent. increase. The discussion was resumed later (_post_, p. 116). The next business of importance in the Commons was the Budget; but, before proceeding to it we must, as usual, supplement the particulars already given by a brief view of the Civil Service Estimates, summarising from the accompanying Memorandum of the Secretary to the Treasury. CIVIL SERVICE ESTIMATES. Net Total, 1914-15. Original Estimates, 1913-14. Increase. 57,065,816_l._ 54,988,318_l._ 2,077,498_l._ In the Abstract and throughout the detailed Estimates comparison was made, according to the usual practice, with the total grants made for the service of the year 1913-14 in the Appropriation Act, 1913; these grants, including the Supplementary Estimates for 578,555_l._ presented to the House of Commons on July 24,1913, showed a net total of 55,566,873_l._, and on this basis of comparison the Estimates for 1914-15 showed an increase of 1,498,943_l._ The number of classes had been reduced by one, Class VIII. (Old Age Pensions, Labour Exchanges, Insurance, etc.), which had appeared for the first time in 1913, having been merged in Classes VI. and VII., but the number of votes was the same as the original number for 1913-14. There were a number of minor readjustments of the Votes. CLASS I.--PUBLIC WORKS AND BUILDINGS. 1914-15. 1913-14. Increase. 3,744,769_l._ 8,617,459_l._ 127,310_l._