BEWARE OF SKILLED BEGGARS WANTING PARCELS

Chronicle (Levin), 20 December 1947, Page 8

BEWARE OF SKILLED BEGGARS WANTING PARCELS

"DUNEDIN, Dec. 19. While it is generallv agreeil that the present plight of European people calls for sympathy and in the opiiuon oi many sonie sacriflee as well, a letter which has been received by a Dunedin firm points to the danger that unwary New Zealanders may bo exploited through ignorance of the fact that many Europeans have made begging a skilled trade. The letter which the Dunedin firm received comes from a Gennan woman and the earlier paragraphs have the genuine ring of a molher's appeal foi her family. The closing paragraph. however, throws grave doubt on th(genuineness of the appeal. It begs the rec-ipient not to enclose the°pareel in card boarcl, which, it was claimed, would be yuined in the post aiul suggests that a towel or rubber would be a more suitable wrapper. The fmal plea is foi "one piece of soap. " The letter asks. for just such goods as are most in de" mand in the black iuarket and signili cautly it is addressed to a Jii'm producLng goods eonunanding a high black 1 inarket value. While there may be a proportion of genuine appeals, the letter inclieates the need for careful cheekiug before parcels are sent to people who nrtiy well be typically unscrupulous participants in Europe's most popu'ar "raeket.".