Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1916-02-12
RED TAPE IN JAPAN
They Have as Fine a Brand There
as We Have Ourselves.
BUT IT is NOT VERY COSTLY:


81 An Experience with the clrcumlocU.
ton Office That Would Have Been
Amusing to the innocent Victim but
For the Dread Of. the Expense. 80
There are many. curious customs in
Japan, and many things dre done Ia
that interesting empire according to
methods that. would be called t0psy'
turyy when judged by the standards
of civilization In western lands. But
in one respect the Japanese are fully
abreast Of any Of the occidental coun-
tries, and that Is in their ability to ma
nipnlate official red tape. The follow
ing incident, recounted by CORE
spondent, of the Youths Companion,
admirably illustrates the point. He
writes:
although I have lived long in ia
pan, have tried to keep pace with
western ideas corner in my com
pound bears witness to the fact that 1
once tried 10 make practical applica
ton Of the modern maxim Help the
poor to help themselves 1t worked
out in a rather surprising way. A beg
gar asked me for money one morning.
and saw a way to heIp him without,
as the expression goes, 'pauperizing'
him
-. There was n bad place just inside
the con pound gate that needed to be
flied l. with stones, Of which there
were plenty on the seashore near by
Here Was man who could transfer
The stones TO the compound for the
30 sen rs cents that he had asked of
me. The man fell In with the plan
cheerfully and set to work.
The job was about completed to his
satisfaction and mine when IA police
man, who appeared Oh tae scene, ask
eel my man if he had received permits
sion to remove the stones. The work
man referred the officer to me. and 1
had tC confess that l had not thought
it necessary. Evidently the officer
thought otherwise. for was politely
but firmly told that ! might secure a
permit by applying at the city hall.
TO the city hall L went, knowing
that it is not wise to tribe with the
regulations of the police department
From there l was referred to the pro-
vincial building. As l was personally
known to the governor Of the province,
/ sent my card into him, only to learn
that he was absent. The Lieutenant
governor, however. said La would be
glad to receive me. That courteous
gentleman was going to pass the whole
ching by, but thought 1t well first to
speak OF it TO the department of public
works.
Now, the department OF public
works had IN efficient head. who be-
lieved in letting nothing go at loose
ends. He announced that | must fill IN
Il certain form in duplicate. making
formal application for the stones. Then
two maps would have to be drawn,
showing where the stones had been
found and the place to which | wished
10 Remove them.
1.-THE board OF public works stood
ready to make the maps-at my ex-
pense. There was nothing to do ex-
cept to agree to this arrangement, since
| had already had the stones moved. l
thanked the lieutenant governor for his
assistance and withdrew.
"ln a day or two messenger came
with the maps and forms requiring my
signature. After that they were sent
to the city hall. Then another mes
seuger took them to the governor for
HIS signature. One set was filed at
the city han and the other AT the office
of the executive.
In due time notification came by
81 -'riai messenger that was permitted
10 remove the stones which every one
knew | had done a week before All
that prevented me from thoroughly en-
joying the whole affair was the thought
OF the hill that | should receive from
the department of public works.
After several weeks of suspense l
WAS notified to appear before the treas
urer at city hall. to pay my indebted
ness 90 tine municipality. Armed with
my bank book. I appeared ait city hall
What was my surprise and relief TO
tind that the bin for all this red tape
aud infinite trouble amounted TO II
sen. equal to about SO cents In good
American money"