"RED TAPE" NOT FAVOURED IN CEYLON'S DEFENCE SYSTEM

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 67, 19 June 1942, Page 4

"RED TAPE" NOT FAVOURED IN CEYLON'S DEFENCE SYSTEM

A humorist in the Ceylon State Council asked the Chief Secretary whether he knew that among the questions set at the last Civil Service examinations were these: What is Red Tape? Can. you find anything to say in its favour? The Chief Secretary Briton, asked a supplementary. Would inquire. Thereupon the questioner, a Briton, asked a supplementary. Would the Chief Secretary assist the House with a selection of answers to those possible examination questions on Red Tape? The Chief Secretary regretted that that was a matter on which he could not offer assistance to the Honourable Member. This ended the humorous part of the exchange. Then came the serious part. "Is Ceylon joining the Straits and Bombay in mitigating Red Tape's alleged evils? To this the Chief Secretary's answer was: "Every endeavour has been and is being made to simplify action between departments and to avoid unnecessary circumlocution in correspondence." This seems to have satisfied some public men in Ceylon, but not all. Some are not, satisfied that "every endeavour lias been made."' Others complain that the Chief Secretary, while disfavouring Red Tape, has used Red Tape English in his reply. They want to see the end not only of Red Tape but also of officialese.