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Free Lance, Volume XVIII, Issue 984, 14 May 1919, Page 1

Christchurch got angry.'the other day when it bumped right into the circumlocution office and got circumlocuted in two moves. The Otira Tunnel League, which believes only in God and the Midland Railway, grew anxious about the plans for" electrifying the tunnel. It wrote to the Public Works Department. After an interval the P.W. Department replied that plans had been prepared—four, of them—but had to be approved by the Railway Department, which Department was. now considering them. The League then wrote to the Railway Department, and after the proper interval the Railway Department replied that the Public Works Department was responsible and in effect that that was the Department to refer to. So the League having entered the revolving door, and been swung out again, found itself in the street—circumlocuted in two moves. And it rose up and cursed bitterly to Sir James Allen, who thereupon promised to see that it got a real reply to its enquiries. Probably the Departments will . not circumlocute James in than four moves—he may even turn out a six-mover—but he will -be circumlocuted just as sure as his name is not Richard John.