CHAFFING A BUREAUCRAT

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1507, 17 January 1901, Page 12

CHAFFING A BUREAUCRAT

BERLIN, Nov. 13. 'Some 1 thoughtless young clerks at Celle, in the province of Hanover, are just now ruefully reflecting on the foolishness of playing jokes, even of the most harmless' kind, upon the powers that. he. It occurred to them, some time ago to send 1 to the Minister of Railways a pie_ ho rial postcard on which the following communication was written : "We beg to inform you that the __ d'oor.s of the ■first, and second-class waiting-rooms are closed towards the platforms/ 5 This missive they signed with their names, to which they humorously prefixed titles of nobility, such as Count von A. and Baron von B. It was not long ’before the officials or the department discovered tile authors of the jest, who, to their consternation, were '‘carpeted’ 5 ’before the Minister and charged, with unlawfully describing themselves as scions of noble houses. Instead of being let off with a warning, as they had fondly anticipated, each •of the clerks was fined 305., and they left the court deploring, with good reatson, the lack of a sense of humour in high places.