"THE SPUGS."

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 24 December 1913, Page 4

"THE SPUGS."

A Melbourne gxrl, who for some time has lived in New York, writes to a Melbourne paper as follows: "By the time this reaches you preparations for Christmas will be set out on every sidelhe same will be m evidence here but under such different conditions; enow, sleet and darkdays, instead of hoi weather and eunahine. However, what' I'want to tell you of is the S.P.U.G. These letters stand for 'The Society tor the Prevention of Useless, Giving* and the members are called 'Spugs,* and each wears an enamelled button, with the word 'Spug* surrounded by a holly wreath. The idea of the Society is not to abolish the sentiment of Christmas, which finds its outlet in .present-giving, but to systematise generosity. For example, in most of the> places of business, both large and small, in New York, there is a custom of making collective presents by the employees to the heads of departments, and the 'hands' are asked how much they will contribute towards . these> Christmas gifts. The tax is so general that no one dares to refuse. Then, again, there exists what is called th^. exchange system, among the employees, who give to a, large extent presents to one another. While I am not sure whether Melbourne shop assistants are taxed in this way, still I do know that hundreds of people give presents simply because they were recipients themselves the .years before, and so they wearily seek, to buy gifts of equal value, for fear of being stingy. It is against this useless waste* ■: that" the. 'Snugs' are . campaigning. They advocate giving, and generous, giving, but they 'l^on't make a business of it; make it an art/ At present there ere signs of the deterioration of Christmas, because the pendulum of present-giving has swung to the other extreme, and the season has become a burden to thousands of wage-earning people. I went to a meeting of the "Society last week, and , no fower than <800 people wore enrolled as 'Snugs/ and, as such,, they will hold thoniselves free _ from the everlasting demand on their purseA."