Estimates Jokes

A few samples of bureaucratic wit of the days of British Raj.
The first is an entry made by an executive engineer in the visitors' book of a circuit house.
'The verandah of the Circuit House badly needs railings. During my momentary absence, a cow ate up some estimates which I had left lying on a table in the verandah.' Below this note was the commissioner's observation:' I find it hard to believe that even a cow could swallow PWD estimates.'
In another circuit house book another executive engineer had noted:' The washbasin should be immediately replaced. I could not wash my face properly for want of proper facilities.' Against this entry is a marginal note in the commissioner's beautiful hand:' SDO will replace the washbasin at once. The executive engineer had to wash his face in tears during his last visit to this station.'
The prize remark is against a complaint that the latrine was too far away from the bungalow.' He should have started earlier, 1 wrote the more...

When tenders were floated for the channel tunnel to connect England and France, many international building companies vied with one another to get the contract. The stakes were very high; the job of digging beneath the sea required great engineering skill and building expertise. Tenders were opened by the Board of Directors of the Anglo-French Corporation which had taken on the project. British builders' estimates were over 200 million dollars each; French and German builders were marginally lower. There was one from India: Singh & Singh Builders whose estimate was only 5 million dollars. The Board was for ignoring the Indian tender but out of curiosity invited Singh & Singh over to discuss the plans.
Banta Singh and Santa Singh of Singh & Singh Builders appeared before the Board. The Chairman asked them "Have you any experience of undertaking this kind of work?"
"Indeed we have," replied the two Singhs, "we bored a lot of tubewells in the Punjab and more...

Q: Why do Economists provide estimates of inflation to the nearest tenth of a percent?
A: To prove they have a sense of humour.