VIII.
THE INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY OF THE COMMUNE.
As already observed, the Commune had organised itself at starting into nine commissions or delegations. These consisted of a victualling department, a department of municipal services, of finance, of war, of public safety, of justice, of external affairs, of education, and of labour. The first, the provisioning department, did not offer any special difficulties until the end of April, when Thiers ordered the stoppage of all provision trains for Paris, and even after that it was possible to keep the town supplied through the neutral zone between the German and Versaillese armies. Besides, the city itself contained enough food to have sustained a long siege if necessary. The department of public or municipal services involved the general superintendence of public offices such as the Post Office, the Telegraphs, the Mint, the official printing press, the hospitals, the greater number of the subordinate members of the staff of which had been induced to remain or return. Theisz, a workman, took the direction of the Post Office, which involved the most trouble, owing to its having been intentionally thrown into disorder by its late director. The wages of all employés were at once raised, and the hours shortened. In well-nigh all these services the "superior officials" had made off, thus leaving the work of directing them in the hands of the workmen administrators placed there by the Commune.
Camélinat, bronze worker, took over the Mint, and
