NOVEL CHAIN LETTER

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 159, 21 June 1935, Page 6

NOVEL CHAIN LETTER

Gain of £7BO Promised “PROSPERITY CLUB” Problem in Multiplication Something novel in the way of chain-letters has come to the notice of the “Tribune” and, contrary to the usual circumstances of such letters, there is something more tangible than just good luck at stake, always providing, of course, that , the edict contained in the epistle is put into effect by all those who are or will be recipients. In this case there is to be had a monetary gain of £7BO providing the instructions contained in the original letter are carried out, and providing each of the ultimate 15)020 recipients obeys the injunction to “keep it going” appearing at the foot of the letters they receive. Mathematically there docs not appear at a glance to be a flaw in the scheme, but fickle human nature is to be reckoned with. The letter is headed, the “International Prosperity Club,’’ and at the head of it are the names and addresses of five people, all of them in this case Wellington residents, which goes to show that the chain has not so far been very definitely established. Then appears the following: “This chain was started in the hope of speeding up the return of prosperity. Within three days of the receipt of this write out five copies, omitting the top name and adding your own name and address on the bottom line. Mail or give these five copies to five of your friends to whom you wish to bring prosperity. After omitting the top name send that person a shilling postal note without any letter or comment. In its turn your own name leaves the top of the list and if this chain remains unbroken you should receive replies with donations amounting to 15,625 postal notes —a total value of £780.”

To elucidate the position: The recipient will send out five letters in accordance with the injunction; each of those recipients will send out a further five, making a total of 25 letters; those 25 will each send out five more, making 625; those 625 will send out another five each, making a total of 3125; finally, those 3125 will each send out a further five, making a total of 15,625 letters. By this time each of the five operations will have brought the original recipient’s name progressively from fifth on the list to first when his name is deleted, and each of the 15,625 people who at this stage have letters bearing his name at the top of the list will send him a shilling, the total being £7BO. Such is a scheme which superficially appears to be mathematically sound, but will it stand the test of human nature, and if carried on ad infinitum, will world population stand the demands made upon it? Also to bo considered is the legal aspect of the matter, and, in view of an Auckland case some months ago concerning a scheme run on parallel lines, those who propose adding their names and addresses to the letters would be advised to take stock of the position from this angle before doing so.