| OCR Text |
Show RED TAPE IN FRANCE. While Officials Are Tied Cp With It th Statue of Puget Is Minna a Nose. British red tapeism is bad to beat, but the record just now is with Paris. There the front of the Ecole des Beaux Arts i adorned with a statue of Pnget, the once famous tenor. Four years ago a passerby made the discovery that the statue's nose had come off. He called the attention of the 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 the prefecture of police. The prefecture of police decided that the nose had drop pod off tho statue and had not been maliciously knocked off. The matter cherefore concerned the prefecture of tbe Seine. It was then August, 1891. In October a committee of three was appointed ap-pointed to decide which department had to put the nose on again. The committee com-mittee inspected the statue in January, 1892, and reported in December thai they were unable to report In February, 1893, this report reached reach-ed the departmant of public works. Tin head of a room found it in June and made the lives of his subordinates as many burdens to them with it. Some, how or other it got into print that but for this zealous official there would b hardly a statue in France and in Navarre Na-varre with its nose on. In July he was decorated for special services. Somebody else took up the report. Between January Jan-uary and December, 1894, it had got Into parliament On Feb. 25, 1895, the house sat upon it, and JIM. Jaures and Carnaud get off some virulent attacks upon the government for its want of public epirit The next day the same passerby who had reported absence of tho nose happened to pa3s by again. Hi discovered that the noBehad not been replaced. re-placed. He reported to the policeman on duty, who. etc. The nose of Puget is ic for another round. Pall Mall Gazett |
