DAVY JONES'S LOOKER.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 4 October 1917, Page 3

DAVY JONES'S LOOKER.

STOCKED BY RED-TAPE

" Red-tape," the now accepted synonym for abject futility, continues to play its part in the war. Trade is hampered by a shortage of ships, food is limited to certain quantities of certain commodities at practically certain hours in the Old Country, a fact which we in New Zealand can hardly appreciate. Yet through the intelligent offices of red-tape ships, wheat and meat are being wasted with almost criminal prodigality. One vessel which recently arrived at a port in the North of England with thousands of tons of grain on board put in her appearance a little after the regulation hour of entry and was ordered to remain outside till morning, She remained outside for ever. The pilot boats which had escorted her to the harbour entrance had left and the enemy sent her to the bottom with her full cargo of grain stuffs before morning. Another boat with a cargo of New Zealand meat valued at £250,000, arrived safely at a Channel port, but was not allowed to remain there. Her papers showed that her objective was London, and to London the authorities ordered her. Back she went into the danger zone and the fishes fed on "Prime Canterbury" to their hearts' content as she lay at the bottom of the Channel. Still a third vessel, on her maiden trip, received orders at one port to proceed to another on the East Coast. Outside the harbour she lost her maiden status ,at the " hands " of a torpedo and 9000 tons of wheat went to the bottom. It is suggested that an elaborate system of espionage enables the Germans to select the most costly ships for their operations. But once a vessel laden with valuable cargo reaches the safety of port, even though it is not the port of the ship's papers it reads like lunacy that she should be again sent to run the gauntlet of imminent danger before her cargo of necessities has been secured. It is useless, we know, "to kick against the pricks," but surely there is some easy and efficacious method of removing the pricks. There should be feasible restrictions even to the, usage of red tape.—John Bull's Register.