A DISTINOTION WITHOUT A DIFFERENCE.

Manawatu Times, Volume IV, Issue 50, 23 June 1880, Page 2

A DISTINOTION WITHOUT A DIFFERENCE.

: Verily the ways of the Circumlocution/ Office are tortuous and^ inexplicable in the, extreme. Take, for instance, the little ar«, rangement '.with regard to receiving and ,deipatch of country telegmrof, and ample food for. conjecture will be- found .. . - A settler at Awahuri wishes to send" a teljßghiphic message to Wellington, so he slips it into an envelope, direct! it to, the Postmaster at ' Balmerston, enclosing the, shilrmg fee, and; on the. outsid* add?, *' Telegraphjlc mjßsiage^ for transmission to Wellington.''- He thjtn posts it, minus, .a stimp, and without ' further, trouble or. expense it reaehesjPSi. destination. That is. all. quite., right; 6ut let us §ee abou^i the replj. The respondent at .Wellington, pays % shilling for his answer, add- darects to the. first sender at. '■■ Awahuri-; pujt- mark the result. Before it" leave» Palmerston to its final destination, twopence has to. be disgorged for the postal carriage, between this town -and Awahuri. : Now, what I- wanfe t» knoi^j -is— -Why. should theihetsage.conie free by mail from, the,, latter j pjace, and s charge be made for. the carriage, of the answer. But so it i» j — ■ \ > plain case, of * "distinction withpnt % • difference,"- and • piece ©f red Vtape proce-. dure, the key to ifo9\ M? <».*"•• "ft"official mind. - . ; ■ ,•