A “DRY” REQUEST

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 197, 20 August 1929, Page 11

A “DRY” REQUEST

£lO EACH FOR TEETOTALLERS A BERMONDSEY WINDFALL A former curate of Bermondsey Old Parish Church has set a pretty problem for the inhabitants of this quarter of the metropolis. He has left a sum of £JOOC to be distributed in amounts of £lO to the deserving poor on the condition that not a penny of the mc.’iey shall be spent in intoxicating drinks. The rector of the parish, when asked what result the announcement of tho benefaction had produced, replied that already he had received a small mail bag full from applicants. Then he handed the inquirer a copy of his parish magazine, in which he had written: —

“It has been amazing to notice the enormous spread of teetotalism. Districts, of which we should scarcely have suspected it, seem to have been bono-dry for years, and it would be hard to find anybody within a mile of St. Andrew’s who knew even the taste of beer.”

The rector was a little astray in his suggestion that his parish had gone bone-dry, writes a correspondent of the Sunday News. I visited a number of taverns and found a large number of parishioners enjoying their glasses of beer. I ventured to ask one of them if he lived in the parish. “Lived here all my life,” he snapped, and, waving a grimy hand aiound, he exclaimed: “So do my' pals.” Then I suggested that since the benefaction of the dead curate had been announced there had been a wave of teetotalism which threatened to overwhelm tho district. “Teetotalism!” he exclaimed. “We ar.*r’t drunkards —no, certainly not — but the other —oh, no.” When I gave him the glad tidings of the benefaction he looked grave. ‘‘Of course,” he said, “ten pounds is a lot of money, but our wives could sjend it and still we could—” He ordered another beer.

Local tradesmen have heard of the good luck that has to come to 100 poopic, and one or two of them have put announcements in their windows suggc sting that the money should be spent with them. One of these notices runs:—“Bring your £lO here and we will give you a receipt and a guarantee.” • A woman said: “I think that the rector should appoint a small committee of wives, who will see to it that the money is not spent at the public houses.” Thereupon a friend of hers put in: “But who is to guarantee the wives?”