The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-06-18
RED TAPE RULES ENGLAND.
No Deviation From Traditional Pro-
cedure Is Permitted.
From the nndon GlobA

From the London Globe.
A month or two ago the commanding
officer of a volunteer corps, desiring to
have the services OF a worthy and re-
spected Clergyman as chaplain, sent in his
name to the war Office. In reply he re-
ceived a form of printed qualifications.
Among them was the following: Has the
applicant ever been in prison, and, IL 50,
for what offense?" The idea of crime in
connection with his reverend friend seem
ed so absurd to the colonel that he left
the question unanswered Red tape, in
the person of war office clerk, looked
at it in a different light. The blank in
the form suggested him only one thing,
and that was official. We note that you
give no answer TO question No he
wrote to the colonel. we hope this does
not imply that the person you name has
been convicted. We shall be glad Of
definite answer on this point"
Here attachments from ideas is merely
lud'crous. 1t has, however. another sile
Early in January a battalion was order
ed to the front which was short of Off
GERS. The colonel. knowing that the twin
battalion in India was exactly the re-
verse wrote TO the war office explaining
the circumstances and urgently request
ing that the full strength of his command
might be made up by an exchange, the
officers being sent direct to Durham. In
great anxiety he waited a week without
a reply. The day before he left his own
letter was returned to him and across
Il a red tape official had scrawled in blue
pencil This application should be sent
10 duplicate" The battalion. therefore,
sailed from Southampton short of officers.
with perhaps unfortunate consequences
in the field But red tape knows moth
IN ah Re 1tF11if d.
ed by form.
Red Tape IN the Field.
Even in South Africa. the red tape
fiend is at large. When communication
was first estab ished between Kimber-
ley and Lord Methuen's column on the
Modder river it fairly outdid ITSELF The
town, which had already borne some o.
the rigors of the siege, was naturally
anxious 10 hear news of the rel ewing
force or, at any rate to receive some
acknowledgment that 1t was invested by
the Beers. Greatly 10 its disappointment
and ind gnation, this was the first mes
sage flashed to Colonel Kekewich:
Please inform the remount department,
Wynberg, what is the number mark sd
on the left hoof of horse suppl ed 10 Ser
geant OGorman." To he depressed gar
rison of Kimberley this message sound
ed like mockery OF their sufferings but
1t was merely d splay of red tape
On the authority of Mr.. Rhodes another
story is told Of oficiaiism in Kimberly
itself. Throughout the siege the military
authorities failed to record the death Of
a single colonial. though locally raised
force were the main strength OF the gar
rison. Nevertheless in the Kimt ely gar
rson orders occurs a notification TO the
effect that Mule No. -, having died, is
hereby struck OF the strength of the
North Lancashire regiment" To red tape
a transport animal of the regular army
is OF more consequence than many troop
ers and officers of irregular corps.
An official not 20 long ago went some
little distance from London on public bust
mess. On his return he sent Ia a BIZ Of
the expenses he had incurred on the jour
ney. one item was the small sum of
three pence opposite which, for want of
a better term, he wrote porter" To his
establishment the bill was returned to him
with an intimation that no allowance was
made for liquors. He explained that he
paid the money, not for a drink. but to a
station porter for carrying his bag to the
train. This was satisfactory; nevetthe-.
less to save future misundersta ndings. he
was asked TO m the item as porterage.
Little Things MngniRed.
When a peg to hang an overcoot on is
needed IN an ordinary office. either one of
the clerks puts sc in or a workman Is
asked to do It, Such simple and direct
methods ind no favor in a world ruled by
red tape, as the following incident illus
trates; The necessity for q row OF pegs