Punch (90.1886)

146

PUNCH, OE THE LONDON CHAEIVAEL

[March 27, 1886.

CO-OPERATING.

Extremely Civil Servant (to Mr. John Bull). " What can I supply you with to-day, Sir? Little Local Government—very
fine Westphalia Hams—nice Inland Revenue Accounts—Tea at Eighteenpence a Pound—a few Confidential Despatches—
or would you like to try our Thirteen-and-Sixpenny Spring Trouserings ?"

John Bull (taken alack). "Here, I say ! You can't attend properly to all these things at once."

Extremely Civil Servant (politely). " No—but I so.'" [John Bull thinks this had better be looked into.

NOT TO-DAY, BAKERS!
Some wag once anticipated that the Universe would ultimately
become a branch of the British Post Office. Is British Trade to
peoome a branch (extra-official) of the Civil Service ? The proposed
_ Civil Service Bread Company" would seem to he a tentative step
in that direction. But before this sort of thing is carried any
further, the Public will have some awkward questions to ask of our
Ten-to-Four toffs. It is a wise thing—from the worldly-wise point
of view, at least—to let a sleeping (British) lion lie. Civil Service
Trading is not so entirely sound and satisfactory a thing as to he
able to provoke close inquiry with impunity. If our Civil Service,
well paid and well pensioned, has, in addition, the leisure to enter
into a favoured competition with struggling self-supported Trade,

there would seem, from the point of view of simple justice and
public economy, to he something wrong somewhere. Where that
wrong is, inquiry, once started, would soon elicit—with results. For
the present it may suffice to suggest that John Bull is not very
anxious to have the interests_ of "the staff of life" too closely
identified with those of his Civil Service Staff. Verb. Sap.

The Block System has lately heen enforced on nearly all the
Railways by the severe snow-storms.

Puzzle.—Why would a coloured Native Bishop, without any hair
on his head, be prevented from becoming a Member of the Athenaeum ?
Solution.—Because he must he Black Bald.