THE OLD SOLDIER PLEA AGAIN

NZ Truth, Issue 1239, 29 August 1929, Page 4

THE OLD SOLDIER PLEA AGAIN

Scanlon's Literary Enterprise To Exploit Public RAKING IN THE SYMPATHY SHILLINGS

From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative).

With a gang of so-called "salesmen" traversing a wellorganised itinerary which takes them brice or twice annually over the whole of the Dominion, self-styled "Digger Author" Herbert Scanlon (late A.i.P., resident m Sydney), for ten years has been reaping a rich harvest from the New Zealand public.

ABOUT nine months ago "N.Z. Truth* severely criticised Scanlon's

methods of. exploiting public sympathy for the purpose of lin.ingr.-his own purse, and once again the public of New Zealand are advised to think twice before parting up their shillings to Scanlon's go-getters. Herbert' Scanlon. is "stated to be an ex-A.I.F. digger, drawing a war pension from the Australian Government for wounds received during service overseas. As to his literary talent, the least that can be said is that his books are not worth half a shilling each. One thing, however, must 'be stressed. Scanlon, since war, at all events, has never been a re- . sident of New Zealand, nor is there any information of his ever having visited the Dominion. Bearing m mind this all-important fact, and being fully conversant with the methods, adopted by Scanlon's crowd for the purpose of soliciting sales, this* paper has gathered a few facts which should drive home to the public the economic truth that "Charity begins at home." : . Operating for a week or two recently m Dunedin and.suburbs, four salesmen, under the "management" of a i

gentleman by the name of C. J. Gordon, have been offering at every doorstep Herbert Scanlon's latest literary effusion which aims at reaching the household book-shelves under the sentimental title of "Remembrances" — price, one shilling. ,

If Scanlon's salesmen are to be believed, their door-to-door perambulations are well worth a lot of bootleather. "

According to one of them, who, by the way, knew, he was talking to a "Truth" representative, he makes anything from 15/- to £1 a' day. * His commission on the sale of each book is sd. So that, to put himself on the same financial wage-earning level as the average eight-hour a day pick and shovel man, he has only to dispose of 36 books per day.

At this rate, four salesmen' then, nightly hand m to Gordon (on behalf of Scanlon) the tidy little total of at least £4/4/-.

From an authoritative source, a generous estimate of the cost of printing is set down as 2d. per book. Less, if printed m larger quantities than 25,000 at/ a time.

Hence, from the New Zealand public, upon whom he is practically forcing his digger "dreadfuls," Scanlon, and, prer sumably, Gordon, jointly extract a weekly pittance of something like £18 net profit. If Scanlon's literature sold, itself on

its own merit this paper would have nothing to say. But obviously it does not. Armed with facsimiles of three or four letters of recommendation from prominent citizens, Scanlon's men have little trouble m tapping the sympathy and purse of the average householder. Ostentatiously, they poke these letters under the noses of their prospective customers, the book which is for sale taking only a very small part m the solicitations for sales. Among the letters m the possession of these men, are letters from ex-Prime Minister Gordon Coates, and Mayors Troup (Wellington), Archer (Christchurch) and Black (Dunedin). "This paper is surprised at these men, so publicly prominent, lending their signatures to such an enterprise, which inferentially induces m the public mind the belief that the money received from the sales of the 'books goes to help some destitute, stranded or totally disabled digger. --r Evidently, the signatories indiscreetly penned, their testimonies without thinking, ,or without ascertaining the circumstances behind the movement. Of the four men who recently. raked the Dunedin area, only one could claim

tobe a New Zealand digger. One of them was not at the front at all.

The Dunedin branch of the R.S.A. has realised for a long tinie that the. prolonged Scanlon campaign is a pure, exploitation having a very disadvantageous effect upon a national sympathy, which must be protected.

Having no redress m law m this matter, the executive committee of the Dunedin R.S.A. is at its wit's ends to know how to put the public "wise" to the Scanlon enterprise. "N.Z. Truth" is out to help, and at once asks Mr. C. J. Gordon, organising salesman for Scanlon literature, , m how 'many cities, boroughs and counties m which his men have been operating during the last djecade, has he complied with the law by taking out hawker licenses. For hawkers they are, purely and simply. So far as could be gathered from the Dunedin city authorities, Scanlon's men had not taken out licenses during their sojourn m that city. At all events, "N.Z. Truth" will continue commenting upon the activities of Scanlon^and Co. until such time as his organiser m New Zealand cuts out the old-soldier "appeal" stunt of carrying round misleading letters, reduces the price of the literature to its true worth on the legitimate market, and makes a point of selecting his salesmen from the ranks of partiallyincapacitated diggers. s