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Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3315, 6 September 1911, Page 8

The unalterable rules and red tape of a Government Department are proverbial, and the following authentic case is a striking instance of cast-iron procedure. A resident of beautiful Valley. near Geraldine, was seized with sridden illness, and a messenger was sent to the local telephone bureau to summon a doctor from Geraldine. He found. the house closed as the actingpostmaster had removed, and no one had been appointed to take his place. The owner of the property was asked to ring up Geraldine, but he refused, as he had been warned that he was liable to a fine if lie touched the instrument, and in any case the call would not be answered. The messenger was obliged to ride many miles further on, to the foot of Mount Michael, where lie was able to telephone to Fairlie. The message was then sent from Fairlie to Timer u, and from there eventually reached the medical man in Geraldine. Fortunately the doctor found the patient alive when he reached Beautiful Valley.