OFFICIAL RED TAPE.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20488, 5 March 1932, Page 3

OFFICIAL RED TAPE.

A good story of official red tape was told by the Dominon Chief Scout, Colonel P. Clennell Fenwick (of Cliristchurcb) at a meeting of Scout leaders and supporters, held at Nelson this week. He was illustrating the fact that local rules had to be made for New Zealarfd, as the trees and plants they {studied, for example, were diiterent from those in England. Colonel | Fenwicii was stationed with some colonial troops at a hospital .in Somerset in winter., Noticing that there was a lot of long'grass about, looking' untidy, he decided to get it cut. On looking' up the regulations he discovered a clause in a -sub-section relating to "a lawn mower, with two horses for same." Consequently he applied •to headquarters for' a lawn mower and horses, but after a great deal of correspondence wherein it appeared that no one knew where they were, and the 9000 troops seemed to have been placed, the colonel received notice that ne could have the niower "without | horses for same'' providing he certified; that there was enough grass requiring, to be cut -to warrant m mowfel-. - Ue complied with this request, arid_ in dis - course received the mower; which was. too rusty to use. To his joy, however,, it snowed heavily,' and the grass an"-, lawn mower were covered with a thicK mantle. At this time they were inspected by a general who demanded to be informed where the _mgwer was and what it was wanted for at -.tdMui. season of the . year. Oh, was the. reply, "we are New Zealanders, and we always cut our lawns in December. The general was avP aren '' ; 'y satisned.