Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1910-11-03
RED TAPE EXPERT
An EAST Indian Clerk Who
Slumped an English Official.
BEAT HIM At HIS OWN GAME,
IN the Fine Art Of Circumlocu*;en eahu
Tara Chand Made His Prstentious
Auditor General Appear Like a Rank
Amatsur-A True Story.

Auditor General Appear Like q Rank
Amatsur-A True Story.
Inc government Offices in Whitehall
are supposed to use red tape" pretty
Freely. but the supply IN London il
nothing to what It is In India. Let
us outline briefly the true history of
babu Tara 'Chand. late of the subordi
nate branch of the Indian civil sery.
Ice. The story is true.
babu Tara Chand was a deputy suh-
assistant clerk in the cutcherry of
deputy collector in the Swankibarh
district of southern Bengal. The in
land postage rate In India at that
period was three pies. or about 1
farthing. for letters Weighing one tola
one fine day when the officials had
concluded the annual or biennial over.
haul OF the books of the cutcherry it
was discovered that by some un-
heard of turpitude one stamp of the
value Of three pies Il farthing) had
been unaccounted for. The stamp
could be clearly traced to the desk
and control of Babu Tara Chand.
Thence 1t had disappeared.
Babu Tara Chand was not summa-
rily dismissed; neither was he made
the target of u criminal prosecution. In
stead he received lengthy letter on
blue foolscap paper. pointing out in
detail how certain property Of her
most gracious majesty the queen en-
presto wit. one Indian postage stamp
or the value of three pies-had been
committed to his care ON a certain
date and that up to the date of writ
Ing no adequate explanation had been
Forthcoming OF said postage stamp.
The communication fell upon the
iuckless Tara Chand like a bolt from
the blue. 1t left but three courses
open to him-viz:
IA, Resign from the service.
co. Explain the disappearance of the
farthing postage stamp in a manner
deemed satisfactory by the auditor.
&c, Recoup the farthing.
OF these three courses it will be
obvious to any person with the shall
lowest knowledge Of the Bengah char
acter that the third one ,(c) was from
the outset beyond the pale of con
sideration. The first (a) was also too
terrible to contemplate. Therefore
Babu Tara Chand sat down and COM
posed letter which was masterpiece
in its way and In which ne requested
I" be relieved from routine service for
period of four weeks to enable him
TO make such a search among the rec
ories of the department. etc. as might
enable MIN to trace the missing stamp.
THIS reasonable request was readily
granted.
Foui weeks later Babu Tara .Chand
applied for further term of fwo
weeks MHerein to draw up a report
upon The results of his investigations
in pursuit If the errant postage stamp.
This, haviA.t passed through the eight
cen or ninelaen different hands neces-
sary for su, Ii an application. was in
iarn duly gnsated, and at the end of
the fortnight ara Chand submitted a
report OF 216 !nolseap pages. explain
ing that, desplia the most diligent ef-
foa Is dJfl lll'ilki - oe l1ftl !, hC bod
been unable to ecure the slightest
clew 50 the cause # the deficiency.
Wheh the depar. aieEt of audits and
accounts lad fully eigested this decu-
nlent and prosecuted report of the
alie ia official Irecis TO the auditor
general the auditor general through
the secretary of the assistant auditor
general of the presidency of Bengal
notified Babu Tara Chand that Ii was
not wholly satisfactory and that the
circumstances bearing upon the loss of
the stamp would have to be definitely
explained and proved or the deficit of
three pies would have TO be made good.
Babu Tara Chand stack to his guns
and wrote again. He wrote many
times. AS often as be wrote his ex-
plantations the auditor general wrote
signifying his official dissatisfaction
with the same.
Eventually. one fine day about nine
months subsequent TO the discovery of
the loss and some two years subse-
quent to its alleged preparation. the
auditor general-his interest in the
matter of farthing postage stamp be-
ing overwhelmed in frontier war
an utimatum to Tara
Chand. The loss of the postage stamp
would have to be definitely explained
or its value, the sum of three pies. be
duly refunded to the treasurer of the
Swankigabh district.
Then Babu Tara Chand became pos
sessed of an inspiration which even
to this day is pointed to with pride
and complacency by even the most cir
of the red tape depart
ments within the purview Of the gov
eminent of India.
Babu Tara Chand wrote to the audi
tor general as follows: a
Sir-In reply to your memo. of It'll inst.
l have the honor to state terrible conf1a-
grafton of my cook house on 9th inst,
Ill 11,t &c In