BUREAUCRATIC STUPIDITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 150, 27 June 1931, Page 11 (Supplement)

BUREAUCRATIC STUPIDITY.

COMIC RUSSIAN EXAMPLE. CAMPAIGN - TO HOUND UP SPARROWS. Characterised by the "Pravada," chief organ of the Communisc party, as "innocent idiotism," the following comic example of bureaucratic stupidity comes from Russia. Comrade Vorobyev (Russian for "sparrow"), as head of a small cooperative store, was called upon to sign a document referring to some supplies in the provinces. The telegram read, "Increase supply 13530," which Comrade Sparrow signed as required. Received at a town called Yonovo-Ezhovka by the regional executive committee, this order from tho Central Office was understood as "Increase supply 13530 sparrows." The president of the Yonovo-Ezhovka Soviet called a conference of officials and active workers, announced the arbitrary demand from Moscow for 13530 sparrows, which ho was reluctant to discuss as he could not explain the unprecedented procurement. The very mystery of it all lent some anxiety, and added zest to the work of collecting the birds. Children were pressed into service, tho sparrows were hunted continuously by day and at night by lanterns. In the middle of the sparrow campaign, Yonovo-Ezhovka was honoured by the visit of regional officials on a mission of investigation. At any other time, their arrival would have been regarded as an event of paramount importance. But it paled before that of the Central Office's telegraphed orders ! for 13530 sparrows. Unwilling to admit that they knew nothing of Moscow's i intentions towards the feathered victims, the visiting officials decided to identify themselves with the sparrow collection. The town of Yonovo-Ezhovka called upon the village of Alexandrovka to help in the task, which they felt was beginning to get a little overwhelming. All was going well, the trapped birds increasing in number as the tedious job proceeded, Yonovo-Ezhovka complacently anticipating approval and applause from headquarters, until one night some cats invaded the sparrow collection and ate over two hundred of them. This act was declared to Jbe "wrecking," and a deliberate attempt to sabotage the Government. The sparrow procurement had become famous, and Comrade Emelianova, woman director of the regional consumers' society, appeared on the scene to clear up some points. How much were sparrows worth? Were they to be delivered alive or dead? In her very natural zeal to give satisfaction, Comrade Emelianova queried the Central Office on the subject. The sparrow procurement bubble burst as an absurd example of unthinking, mechanical bureaucracy.— (A.A.N.S.)