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This article studies how expertise from the administration was requested by Parliamentary commissions in the early 20th century. The focus is also on the links between the administration and scientific circles, links that spill over onto the types of expertise provided. The question of the autonomy of the high-level civil service directors towards their minister and Parliament is also raised. More specifically, the reconstruction of an episode that occurred in the commission du travail (Labor Committee) shows the competition between the Members of Parliament and the government for control of the administration’s departments. Lastly, the question of the place of high-ranking civil servants in relation to the government is brought up, particularly through the case of the director of Labor, Arthur Fontaine.