In Extremis

NZ Truth, Issue 1196, 1 November 1928, Page 6

In Extremis

The stores branch of the Post and Telegraph department m Christchurch has developed an attack of cussedness.

CINCE the commercial section of the • railways commenced brandishing the bugles of Efficiency and other unmusical instruments that are supposed to exist m private enterprise, practically all other Governmental offices have tested their lungs with similar slogans. The idea seems to have gone to the heads of some P. and T. men, for on October 0, one observes a trio of forms sent out to wholesale merchants in' Christchurch, for quotations: (1) A pint bottle of formalin for killing flies; (2) one half-gross packets of Epsom salts; (3) one dozen feeding bottles.

It is a glorious thing to witness the valiant efforts of a department to balance its profit and loss account, but the long-winded system exemplified above appears rather futile.

Telephoned quotations would serve the same purpose, m one-half the time and with greater economy m writing materials.

If the department is so acutely desirous of cutting its expenditure by the adoption of methods which will secure it commodities at minimum quotations » we would refer the system to a more . practical oourag of adrainistratiop. '