STREET APPEALS DISLIKED

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21646, 3 December 1935, Page 18

STREET APPEALS DISLIKED

PETITION TO CITY COUNCIL

MANY BUSINESSES AMONG SIGNATORIES A strong protest against street collections, queen carnivals, and other general appeals to the charity of citizens is embodied in a petition signed by 1022 persons, .including the managers and secretaries of many of the largest businesses in the city, which was presented to the City Council at its meeting last evening. The petition, which was tabled by Cr. M. E. Lyons, described street appeals as "exploitation of already over-taxed citi«ens." The text of the petition was:— "We. the undermentioned citizens of Christchurch deplore the fact that although most of you pledged yourselves to endeavour to reduce taxation during the last City Council election campaign, you encourage the exploitation of the already over-taxed citizens in the form off queen carnivals and . other means of exploiting the citizens in the streets. Badges Objected To "We respectfully remind you that the people are heavily taxed by governments to provide for essential institutions. We further remind you that it is your duty to see that such institutions are maintained by the Government, instead of allowing these responsibilities to be forced on to the citizens. ' Therefore we are emphatic in requesting you to prohibit any further methods of exploiting the public in the streets of Christchurch. "We desire to .place special stress on our reauest that the existing permits to hold street collections be reduced to the allotment of not more than four in any one year, and we emphatically ' demand that the issue of badges, or any form of acknowledgment of contribution be strictly prohibited. Street . collections are supposed to be in the form of voluntary contributions. We realise, however, that the issue of - badges, etc., is a positive threat to the > public. We also request that no street .agjpesl be permitted on the workers' |a*^|e t petltioa was referred to the full