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Show RED TAr-H IN FRANCE. While Officials Ara Tied Cp With Tt tnfc filatuo of Paget Is Minns a Noso. British red tapeism is bad to beat, buv Jho record just now is with Paris. Thers tho front of tho Ecolo ties Beaux Arts in adorned with a statue of Puget, the once famous tenor. Four years ago a pasperby made tho discovery that tha statue's nose had come off. He called tho attention of tho policeman on duty to the fact. The policeman reported to his brigadier, who reported to the commissary com-missary of the quarter, who reported to tho profecture of police. The prefecture of police decided that tho nose had dropped drop-ped off the statue and had not been maliciously knocked off. The matter chereforo concerned tho prefecture of tbs Seino. It was then August, 1891. In October a committee of three was appointed ap-pointed to decide which department had to put the ucto on again. The com-mitt"0 com-mitt"0 inspected tho statue in January, 1802, and reported in December that they wero unable to report In February, 1893, this report reached reach-ed tho department of public works. The head of a room found it in Juno and mado tho lives of his subordinates so - many burdens ty them with it. Somehow Some-how or other it got into print that but for this zealouh official there would b hardly a statuo in Franca and in Navarro Na-varro with its nose on. In July he wa? decorated for special services. Somebody else took np tho report. Between January Jan-uary and December, 1S94, it had got into parliament. On Fob. 25, 1895, the house sat upon it, and MM. Jaures and Cai-iiaud got off some virulent attacks upon the government for its want of public spirit. Tho noxt day tho same pjaserty who had roported, absence oi tho nose happened to pass by again. Ha discovered that the ncso had not boen replaced. re-placed. He reported to the policeman on duty, who, etc. Tho nose of Paget is is for another round. Pall Mall Gazeii |