SIDE-SHOW LICENCES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 14, 17 January 1941, Page 5

SIDE-SHOW LICENCES

(To the Editor.) ~

Sir,—ln a letter appearing in your issue of Saturday last, dealing with the licensing of side-shows, Mr. Cassim Mahomet charges: me with inaccuracy and also misquotes me. " I did not say "that all shows accepted only licensed showmen." , Reference to your issue of January 4 will show that what I did say was that, "The Royal Show Association carried that into practice. They allow only licensed men on their show grounds." That is the actual position. At all Royal Shows held, only licensed men are allowed to operate., Practically all the show grounds in the North Island are now enforcing the licence; also an increasing number in the South Island. The Napier Mardi Gras and the Ngaruawahia regatta are also enforcing the present licence. Mr. • Mahomet also states that holders of the licence have to be finger-printed, and identification marks recorded. This is absolutely incorrect. Mr. Mahomet's letter appears to evade the real issue; which is the cleaning up of the whole show business. The organisation to which I belong, the New Zealand Showmen's Guild, supports the licensing system because it will drive out undesirable elements. If Mr. Mahomet wants to restore peace and harmony in the show world might I suggest that the officials of his organisation, the New Zealand Showmen's Association, help to pur^e out the elements I refer to. Since the guild accepted the licence, our members have been subject to sabotage and assault throughout the country; tents have been burnt, caravans damaged, tyres slashed, and various other acts of [lawlessness committed. The . present licence is issued by the Royal Agricultural Society, and that - atraears to be the grievance. Personally I am in favour of a licence issued by the Justice Department, and in this respect am in entire agreement' with Mr. Mahomet. The issue from the point of view of the; Showmen's Guild is the elimination of. lawlessness, from the show grounds and carnival grounds and when leaders of the association stand up to the unruly element they can be sure of our co-operation.—l am, etc.,

REG. WILLIAMS, Manager, Delgado Circus.