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the remuneration given to the
Civil Servants and the scale
which obtains among Banking Firms and Commercial Houses.
It should also be
remembered that the comparison not only tells in the amount of actual salary, but in the
item of Free Quarters, and as regards the Commercial Firms
Free Living and other incidental
advantages in addition.
It is right further to note that Sir George Bonham, (during whose whole time prices were lower than either
previously or subsequently)
was accustomed to express an opinion that £1000 was the
lowest salary that could decently be assigned to the Head of
a Department. Sir George Bonham too was a
strong advocate for reduction
and retrenchment. His Despatches, Separate, of 27th December 1848 and 20th March
1850, may
be referred to on
the point, but they should be
read in connection with the
facts that reduction was ordered,
and that House Rent and Living were cheaper at the time than they
ever had or ever have