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Manawatu Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 4600, 23 January 1936, Page 2

(To the Editor)

'Sir, —I read in .your correspondence column in your issue of the 21st inst., a letter signed, “Rooked,” complaining about' the number of competitions that are held locally, to. put it plainly, “guessing competitions,” and urging that the police stop it. Row, sir, we " all know that this is going on not only in Fox-ton but all over New Zealand. Why ? Well, I will endeavour to answer that question. To go back to when I first came to live here we had the Beautifying Society raising funds by this means. Later we have had the Fire Brigade, the Silver Band, the Surf iClub, the Unemployed Workers’ Association, the Plunket Society and others including the local branch of the Labour Movement. Excluding the latter, every one of these organisations are rendering a service to the community, and are starved for money. What • does “Rooked” do to help these worthy people? The Fife Brigade and 'Surf Club give their services free to the people and risk their young lives in doing so, and if they wish to attend the annual competitions they have to find most of the money through the method objected to. The Unemployed workers’ organisation feed hungry people out of money raised by this means, while “R-ooked” looks on. He even goes as far as to doubt the honesty iof these people, when he doubts what becomes of the money so raised, well, an honest man always treats other men as honest, and vice versa. I hope that in the near future the new Government will see to it that these organisations which are rendering such good sendee to the community are provided with sufficient funds to carry out the noble work which they have undertaken, and that they will not be in the undignified position to have to ask “Rooked” to have a guess.-—I am, etc.,

FRED SHAW.