THE CHAMPION BEGGAR

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 818, 24 March 1910, Page 4

THE CHAMPION BEGGAR

ADVERTISING THE KEYNOTE OF SUCCESS.

The Sphinx Club dinner at the Hotel Cecil recently was remarkable for a brilliantly humorous speech by Mr Sydney Holland, chairman of the London Hospital, on “Advertising for Charity.” Mr R. Balch, who presided, introduced Mr Holland as “the best beggar in London.” Mr Holland’s speech sparkled with epigrams and amusing stories, of which the following are a selection.

“It’s always better in these hard limes to get a dinner for nothing than nothing for dinner.” “I always add to hospital advertisements the words ‘Never in debt.’ Lots of people have written to say that they will willingly help the hospital in its success. English people always worship success.”

“If you want an advertisement to be of any use it must be original.” “It takes fifty miles of writing to raise ,£IOO for the London Hospital.”

“Once I met two Americans on an omnibus.

“‘Where are you going?' I asked them.

“‘Tosee the Tower,’ they replied. “ ‘But have you never seen Poplar Hospital ?’ I asked them with an air of astonishment.

“ ‘No,’ they replied in equal wonderment. “‘Then come with me.’ After I had shown them over all the wards I led them to a collectingbox. They each put in a sovereign.

“ ‘Sir,’ said one as he left, ‘you have all the instincts of a swindler.’

“ ‘You’d get on very well out West,’ remarked the other, adding as a parting shot, “if you didn’t get shot in the first week !’ "