The Key West Citizen Newspaper, December 27, 1947, Page 3

SATURDAY, prec wR ¢ q » DECEMBER 27, 1947 Mr. Nicolaides: (Copyright 1947, Mason Rossiter Smith) The growth of bureaucracy in the United States is Europe. Sntinent, but im no land that | eee ae eur } Is ” Busy Man You find it in every country on this beleaguered| prices far below the present mar-| have visited is it so cancergus) @ in arene. Not even the Greeks have a (good) word for jt.| theoretically simple act of purchasing an airlines tic:' bet offers an example. After travelling in Europe tual that immediately upon Mey. the wise traveller begins xt. This is essential not only because transportation sched-| ae ate uncertain and subject to change without ‘a > for ‘several months, it becomes! arrival at one point in his jour- ; to make arrangements for the! @ilso because the purchase of a ticket often consumes seferal' 8. Last Monday I called at the ABA (Swedish Airlines) office %6 make arrangements to fly lat er in the week to Istankuk The} clerk made the reservation, and upon checking my passport! _ that before a ticket could * ig ay I faites sail at po-; headquarters to obtain another rubber stamp endorsement | By visa. This seemed a bit unusual, because my Greek ' of Avhens—are very near starva- issued in New York gives me the privilege of entering and | tion. ‘Inflation has run wild, and g Greece @everal times over the period of one year, and poems I had already been properly cleared on arrival in: geerae grind, experience tells short cuts impossible. ney continue ©n through the! The police headquarters is obated some distance from the|! had. So I was directed to re-}}jkewise comes high, a full day’s ABA office, but I reached it by taxi in about 10 minutes. I was} successively passed from one’ clerk in one room to another it| ®@ different room to another inj @ different office until finally I! sat down with one official who! seemed prepared to do business. He questioned me in French con- cerning my entire family his- tory, filling in two sides of a Yatge form in pen and ink. This Yequired considerable time, but} 1 thought I could see the end;} @s. he completed the form. But | @ Becond copy was required. In- plead of making a carbon copy! When the original was prepared,! Yhis chap calmly—and with no hurry—proceeded to copy the; original, again in pen and ink. | He then took me to another! office where my passport and } the forms were turned over to! another clerk. This man exam-' ined the docuffents leisurely, amd finally filled out another} form. After making some leng-| thy notations in a large book, hej Passed me on with my papers to a third man. This chap initialled seme of the forms, stamped my} passport and returned some of, the documents, to be turned in at} eustoms on departure from the; country. This-part of the job, Was now completed. Total time: 1 hour, 30 mitiutes. Several, dozen other people of Greck and | other nationatities were going through the mill at the same time. On returning to the ABA of-, I was advised that before the ticket could be purchased, I! must go to the Bank of Greece | to obtain authority to) pay my fare in Greek drachmai. A Mr. Nicolaides was the man to see. I was given a document stating that permission was requested to buy the ticket. } e Bank of Greece was with- im Walking distance, and I found Mr, Nicolaides on the second fleor. A harried individual, rae) worked deliberately, under ter- rifie pressure. © telephones om his desk, people standing both inside and outside his office, im long queues, asking for serv- = He carefully examined my papers! pd driecfed me ta go down to the foreigti exchange de- flartenent + on the first Change my money into drachmai; return to his office and he would igewe me the proper authority to the ticket. | | t the foreign exchange = my passport was again exam- imed, and on receiving my trav- ellers' cheeques for $40, the cletk made out ahother form— this time in triplicate, but using catbon paper. He handed me a sWiall ticket and directed me to amether window where — the meney would be paid over. Once this operation was completed, I ' ned to the fiftst counter to my currency declaration fot. (required on entrance to the country) endorsed, thence — upstairs to Mr. Nicolaides. initialled one of the money reveipt forms I had obtained dewnstairs and passed all the papers over to a girl at a desk n@arby, who made out another ferm, passed the papers to an- other clerk who affixed some revenue stamps and then hand- ed them to a third clerk. This man made some Notations in a latge book and passed the pa- pers back to Mr. Nicolaides. The jatter initialled the papers and turmed them over to the first git, who filed mst of them in a desk tray and handed me my it to buy an airlines ticket with drachmai. (It cannot, under the law, be bought with any oth- Total time: 2 ef currency.) howrs, 15 minutes, by the ctock. | The cost of the airlines ticket wes $37, and I had cashed $40, as My travellers’ checques were in $210 and $20 denominations. But on purchasing the ticket, 1| discovered that a Greek tax hed’ However, when the bureaucratic machinery begins‘! ou. that questions are useless and, our-—ee oa anaes floor, |: i} been added, which increased the] cost to more than the drachmai! turn to the bank for more. At’ this point I lost all sense of time. But having started out at 9:00 am., I had my ticket at last some time after 2:06, Actuallv this experience i8° a4 ¢ne Gonditicns under Which some? .— : minor affair, in comparison with} the red tape involved in other operations. The Greek business- man—who is ready for the bene-, fit of himself and his country—is severely hampered at every turn by bureaucratic delays. . The American technical adviser or official of an aid mission or relief agency, re to assist in the rehabilitation, moderniza- tion and reconstruction of Greece, | » finds it all but impossible to carry on his work with the kind of efficiency and speed to which | he is, accustomed, businessman or welfare worker in the States, because operating | in conjunction with the present’ Greck bureaueracy makes for’! delay and more delay. The necessity of through chatynels” of bureaucra- tic officialdoin stows down the| machinery ef aid, and attempis | at short cuts to “get on with the e Price ts verhific. 1 Khow, from} opinion the most serious demand; not as yet, in any sizable propor- disturb- | price lists recently forwarded to} to many Atrericans, but a full realization of its dangerous- ng é@fiect—restriction of h as engineer, hi “going |} THR RNY WRST CITA AR ‘he has finally giveh ud all hope! fatmiersand_the_ _yillagers_ are he said,| and suffer from both their homes, to — fields burned, members of ‘to purthase 4 | “Strangely enough,” {sit is possible for me ‘small quantities of pencils, im- | ported from abroad. from other ’ ;me by American manufacturers; uman liberty, almost end-' that if I could import a reason: ir + ag mo | epnieten, all tending to retard every produc-! able supply, I could afford to sell in — possible until you see bureaucracy in action! them in decent quantities and at! CLASSIFIED ADS ket. “The same is true of other: articles, but I can’t seem to get! ~ the ‘There is; always délay. . Apparently some} people can get the required ap-| provals, but I can’t. I was in| America for 25 years, and I know: that. competition is the only way But! to produce a sound economy arn) te a decent standard of living.” Prices for almost all merchan- dise are extremely high and wag- es very Jow, with the result that Giteeve now has a'sinall but very! wealthy rich class, a poverty-| stricken middle class. and a poor! class, who—even in some parts; all merchandise is priced in pet of thousands of drachmai. A workman (who before the wary considered 2400 drachmai per} month a geod wage) Row receives between 200,000 and 300,000 per month, and still cannot afford a pair of shoes, which may-cost him’ as much as 250,000. His food salary of 8,000 to 9,000 being the price of 234 pounds of butter. ‘The following case history of|,. one typical Greek working class fomily. taken’ from. the files of, CARE ‘offite ‘here’ ilNastrates of these people live: Mathews, father, born 1902, | worktwan, Koula, mother, born, 1910 housewife; brother, born 1935, pupil; Dime- trois, patient, born 1942, polio- myelitis. : Dimetrios had an aralysis. ef his left © the Children’s has many swamps, broke out they Were -seht advay.| * e out they Puy Whey camé to Athéns’- and in one.room given them. dy. the father’s brother. This uncle can- Anas tassios, |" attack of | poliomyelitis in 1945, which re-|« Sr ah Shei PAGE THR ni ais ty, agers | Greece _is_in the villages and the sides alike,» small towns outside Athens. fistrusted by ' There is some feeling among | the Greeks that American gov- their families shot. M. T. John- [sce chief of the CARE mission| ‘Ment aid to this country is a in Athens, told me “that in his; sham, fer tle veason that it has for food and clothing packages ‘i (Continued Om Page Eight) Seaespenetauaaeé aaved ror s Lae eed ha tent i . - BLAUKFace TIVE Payment for ified advert ; ieee mente ie invariably in advance, ry * Advertisements ‘under thie Will be towerted tin The Citizen at the fate of # word for gach in- " aerttgn, bus the nitpimeam ebarge for PUBLIC ATIOR OBADLING 18 Wordy OF Tere Ie 30e. To inane publéeation, copy muubt he rate for hinektnce type is dc a} be in The Citizen office: befure it word, end the winimam eburge turjo’clock In the meFfning on the day the first 15 words te que. vf publication. counts may ‘have het d = mente charged. ee hee AM advertising te adecpted: under the following @enditions: in the | ntizen will be © sh error, in ade reging, hoe etal or ganttact. we le only for the n ngertion in Claas: c 9 Rovertioine far only the eat! emanrs a Spal palette oo ine part of the advertisement where the error occurs. eeaeepnpveeeaneeescuntnonG@aaasanni HELP WANTED ' FOR SALE : {es Lobby porter. See manager, Casa!Plumbing _ supplies, complete Marina. Hotel. dec26-3t stock. Plasti¢ tile, paints and | brushes. Robert Leonard Co. Practical nurse for maternity! 1532 N.W. 62"d Street, Miami, case, about January 2ist. Phone Fla. Phone 7-3421. dec-tf 654-R. dec27-1tx | : ' Two-drawer FOR RENT nn | Southard St. Light, housekeeping rooms, $5. - $10 per week. 411. William. St. OE Al aet: oh dec6-1mox | cash register for sale. Evans Camera Store, 509 dec13-tf ' 1940 Ford station wagon. ' clean. Price reasonable. roe Motors, 725 White St. dec22-tf Very Mon- Two new dne-bedroom . apart-' -ments:; SEASONALLY ONLY. : ‘ 993 Whitehead St. dec10-t¢, All kinds of used hotel furniture: : a . Chairs, beds, springs and mat- tresses, vanities, tables, etc. See Manager, between 3 and 5 daily, Casa Marina Hotel. : dec24-3t Furnished cottage. Apply 1128 Margaret or Phone 846-J. \ dec23-5t Furnished four-room apartments, ' maid and janitor service, linens and all. utilities furnished. : Coral Hotel Apts, opposite Post & Office. P aye tnndiptors Motor scooter; good condition. i Tony’s Auto Body Shop, 603- 1936 Ford, $150.60. Apply 81-2, Poinciana. dec24-3tx Clean, airy rooms, with connect- oe ee ing baths, mear. the ocean. ‘solar water heaters. Large neat- a i uest. House, 1328; ing units, 100-gal. heavy-duty White St. insulated tank. Can be had for @eei2-13-19-20-26-27 small monthly payments. No ; money down. Guaranteed. Or- der now for immediate delivery. Lee Bros. Neon Co., 614 Greene St., Phone 4, Key West, Fla. _ Key. $30" sept6-sat-tf Tiree thee ‘8 compartment electric refriger- ths Wenge atx ator. Perfect condition. Phone 381. : dec26-3tx Furnished rooms. 626 Grinnell! St. $6.25 single, $7.50 double. ; Rooth, "private ‘bath, ‘twin ‘ beds, fobt’| are. valle wali ible. rother. is Unt The e w ee Ret AG Rin’ jnotvhelp them in ahy other way, anyan, Eaton.’ ’ St. . : 3 j Considering the work to be done] go 4 } ra ree bed, Phone 655 (gy 1936 and 1937° Chevrolet panel sand the difficulties invelved a , k ye ema ee bag nl ‘ Sass J, 4 deca? Bix eg aa Reasonable. merely getting it started, Uhe!- unk, i ; } one . dec26-3tx American Mision t Git has! Chain, 2 few bienkets on APARTMENT. FOR RENT + accomplished a great deal. lief agencies such as Greek War Relief—in the fa dire need in Greece— likewise! ure doing 2 magnificent job. ~ It is a tribute to the sincerity, of these people that in spite of the obstacles, they have carried on with good will and determina: | tion to accomplish all that has been done so far. | The Greek civil service staff) is enormous—and poorly paid, so| poorly in fact that civil servants frequently walk out in protest) strikes. The machinery of gov- ernment grinds to a halt, and everything stops, while the gove | ernment reiterates that it cantYot afford to pay more. On the oth-} er hand, it gives little heed to, suggestions foreign diplemats! that. streamlining bureaucratic | operations would not ofly de- velop efficiency and reduce the number of civil servants now em- ployed,; but also provide higher wages’ for those: retained. * : To buy or sell abroad—and both ate vital to the Greek econ- omy—80. much red tape, delay and confusion are involved that many businessmen have. given up all attempt to export-import operations . 4 Bureaucracy, as it exists here, produces another evil in the form’ of a substantial black market. Too much regulation breeds dis- respect for xegualtions, The de- lay and difficulty in changing foreign currency into Greek money has contributed to the large black market in foreign exchange—at once a profitable operation for the black marke- teer and his customers, and a short cut to get the business done. One Greek merchant who op-| erates an office supply business —he is a former resident of the States and a naturalized Ameri- can citizentold me: “What these peopte don’t un- derstand is that competition is vital to trade. That’s the only way to get prices down, and raise eur standard of living, with proper distribution of more and better merchandise.” , With dollars he now has in the States, he said, he should be able to import stationery items, such as pencils, which are not produced in Greece, but which are now very searce and very expensive. He rations his pres- ent supply at the rate of one or The various approvals, licens- es, ete., required for import, he went on, are so voluminous and result in so much delay that— after trying for six months to get permission te place one order— Re-j - and} problem is thé most serious one, as it is affected by the lack of food. They are undernourished while oh the contraty maletia needs jal nourishing food.’ {he mother wishes to help her family by. working but it is im- possible. She is too weak to do anything, even her household duties she does with difficulty. A relative of an American Greek family with whom I tour- ed Athens one day introduced me to two Athenian office work- ers, whose honvés are nearby his own. Both are members of up- per middle class families, and wonld in normal times Now ex-, pect to marry instea dof seeking’ office work. Both are orale loyed as typists or telephone arenes iby. the . British ; Aid Misgion ;‘gt 8580’. drachmai "pet; day. ¢ Mest pf théir, incomes Boes to support their parents or mem- bers of their families. One of these gitls; the daugh- ter of a well known musician. has recently been contributing to support of a brother, now hos- pitalized as a result cf poor food, ahd malnutrition. The cost of « hospital bed is 60,000 drachmai per day, with food, medicines and medical treatment in addi- tion. This girl’s income is com- bined with those of her father and mother, now principally to pay hospital bills. There is so little remaining that the father recently refused his legal num- | ber of ration coupons for cloth- | ing. Even with the tickets, Ry can't buy a coat, as there ca | enough money.” . \ The other girl’s parents spent) 25 years in the United States, where she was born, and they were naturalized citizens. On re-| - turning to Greece, where they have since lived for 26 years or more, they became very weal- thy. But during the war all their property was destroyed and they Yost everything. ; ts are. too ill and too 1d to work, so the daughter came to Athens to secure a job. She hopes to come to the States later this year, with the aim of earning enough to care for her parents. ; : The condition in outlying vil- lages is much worse than in Athens—which, on eg ars. to be a well , we aed city, The plight of the farmer in the North is difficult, because the so-called “civil war” between the guerrillas and the government troops has made agri- culture aimost impossible. The | Purnished ‘apartment, adults, no One model 54 Cushman scooter Condition excellent. Make an. ! offer.. 1212 Margaret St. . be- ‘tween Division and United. i dec24-3tx pets, hot water.. 1019: Margaret ; . Street. ‘ . - dee27-tt } WANTED TO RENT Tee . . oad) Coconut Plants for sale, 50¢ each. diate occupancy. Phone 1382-J. ; Apply 1509 South St. : dec23-5tx | Dec27-1tx | 1947 Super Ford, 2-door sedan. Only 2967 miles. Private own- er. 805 Simonton Street. dec27-1tx $10.00 Reward for information resulting my occupying a 2 or} 3 bedroom furnished apart- | ment or house. Phone 1359, | or. after 6 p. m., 737-W. { WANTED TO BUY : dec26-4tx | Old washing machines for spare Preacher, wife and child require | parts. Phone 1164-M. house or apartment urgently. | decl?-té Careful tenants. Box H-20,) re ‘o/o Citizen Office. dec27-3tx | MISCELLANEOUS —_— —I— (ee eee REAL ESTATE FOR SALE Alterations on clothing for ladies, men and_ service . personnel. For any kind of properties in Key! West, be it home or business, | contact Paul Boysen, 626 Flem- | Reasonable. Bru’s Tailor Shop,’ 700 Duval St. dec26-6tx ing Street. Phone 153. | Picture framing, prin ear ae x : g, prints, diplo- : dec22-12tx mas, water-colors. 614 Francis St. Phone 1197-M. dec26-8tx FOR SALE | iio . White outside house paint, white | a $5 a es. Pasian enamel, floor enamel, $2.75 gal- | For appointment, Phone 575. jon up. Large electric heater, a4 $9.75. Hack-saw frames, 89¢ | : dec2i-tf (worth double).. Doherty &! LOST - Co., 846 Olivia, corner of Pack-! i pacientes dec23-4t. Fraternity Pin, A.T.O. Reward. a Aer saat a -*+mental Vatue. Telephone Holiday Special: 1942 4-Dor! 353-J. dec26-3t Dodge sedan with 1946 engine. : Private owner. $1,250.00. Ap- | ply 134-E Poinciana. acear-itx, EXTERMINATING -*—— FEC Exterminating Service Mew‘ ent iron ‘bath tub, com- | a5 yaieed St. Phone 1179-3 plete with fixtures in pecking Cay Before 9 ADM, After 6PM. carton. 3408 Ave. E, | “Specialist in Roaches and Ants dec27-3tx' SPect® xis : i HUNUUGNQEATUUQHNEGNONTRDASAASUANOUAUOHOLAUGLUOPOROOELUUOUUUAQOOUOOULANAOEUUHDNS JOB PRINTING efficient methods enable us to offer you superior printing service at fair prices. Consider us when you place your next print- ing order, Phone 51 and Our Representative Will Call The Artman Press r SOC SCOOESCESOOOOSSHSHSCOCOHOOSES CITIZEN BUILDING nead| resular advertiser® with ledwer ne-' dec24-6t © with side car and accessories. ‘ SOOOOSSHSOSOSSSESOOHHSSSESOOCEOE