Gardnerville record. (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1898-1902, 1902-02-14
HIS CURE FOR RED TAPE.
I Chicago Man Collects n Bill at an
Onice Where They Had system.


Stories of the red tape in the govern
ment departments at Washington are
common, but they are not the only
places where delays In the transaction
of business are found. There are con
Germs In every large city so hemmed
In by red tape that II may take week
or SO to untangle 1t, and u Chicago
man ran into one of them not long ago.
The concern owed him a little mon
ey. and after waiting awhile for a
check he went to collect IT, He didn't
20 far. however, for he was stopped
BY boy at the outer door of the first
Of the many Offices.
what do you want?" asked the boy
Money" said the man.
what for." demanded the boy.
The man explained, and thereupon
the boy told him that all such accounts
were paid Saturdays at the cashiers
office. So the man came back Satur
day.
Don't know anything about it," said
the cashier. You'll have to get an or
der from some one"
Then the man started out after the
order and promptly ran up against the
boy again.
Write out your name and the ma
ture of your business" said the boy,
"and I'll take 1t in to Mr.. Smith"
The man did as he was told. and
a-I 14ata 1ar rir hof NJ fp Al
know anything at all about it.
If | can see Mr. Smith half min
Ute suggested the man. II think
can straighten the matter out"
"Mr Smith has no time to see you"
answered the boy. but maybe Mr..
Jones knows something about it,"
Mr.. Jones was equally inaccessible.
Another boy guarded the outer door
for him, and another statement had
to be written out and sent In to him.
which resulted In the announcement
that Mr.. Jones didn't know anything
about It,
Cant | see anybody in this Office"
demanded the man In desperation.
Its only small matter. and if | could
get hold of some one In authority
could straighten it out In less than two
minutes"
Nix" answered the boy. Cant see
anybody here unless he knows about
your business first"
The man next tried writing letter.
but 1t remained unanswered. so he
went back In person. BY this time he
had become Interested as well as indig
nant He wanted 10 see how much
time aud labor It would take to get the
money.
On the second trip luck favored him.
Workmen were changing some Office
partitions. and he managed To slip
through when no one was looking and
get hold OF man NJ one OF the desks.
How about it," he asked when he
had stated his business
Everything here replied the man
at the desk. lis done according 10 a
system. Now, If anything is due you
you should make ont bill In regular
form and
Make ont a billt' cried the amateur
collector. Hang IL all. | cant get II
chance to present bill TO any one
However. that seemed 90 be the only
thing left for him to do. so he departed
70 make out bill. and while he was
doing ii he kept getting warmer and
warmer until he reached point where
he made the bill for services rendered
s15T." Then he returned to the office
and gave II TO the first boy he met.
III bet that Will wake them up. he
said To himself.
1t did. The boy was back inside Of
two minutes with the message that
"Mr. Smith says 1t is exorbltant He
called up the right department through
the Office phone aud was told the
amount due was only 81"
"Of course" said the man with the
bill, hut wanted to get action Oh it
some way. You tell Mr.. Smith that
there Is a discount of $3.50 for cash"
Word came back that a check would
be mailed that afternoon. and it was.
All of which shows that there lsa way
TO wake up Il red tape Office. Chicago
Inter Ocean.