THAT W.E.A. SUBSIDY.

Shannon News, 4 November 1921, Page 2

THAT W.E.A. SUBSIDY.

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Mr Gregory Kelly,,in a letter to your paper of the issue of Tuesday last would make it appear that the Mayor of Shannon has committed some grave offence against that oversensitive body (?) the W.E.A. Mr Kelly’s statements '’require some correction. In the first place it was not I who moved tO' hold up the grant, but I take my full share of the responsibility and . endorse the ’ action of the councillor who movfed the resolution. The facts of the matter are, viz., a year or two ago the W.E.A., through its local secretary, applied for a grant towards the assistance of the class; the grant was passed by the Council, and made each year since. Last-year’s grant was paid over, but the rent owing for the room where the class assembled was not paid to the Council till about nine months afterwards. This the Council did not think was good business, seeing interest is being paid on a bank Oyerdraft for money necessary to kfeep the borough work going. It was on this account this year’s grant was held up until this year’s rent wap paid. I might ' explain 'that the rent is only 3s per night, just, about enough to pay for the light and cleaning. Ido not write this for the purpose of hurting the feelings of any members of the class, but I am bound, in face of Mr Kelly’s letter, to make this explanation in defence of the councillors and myself. I would ask Mr Kelly, if one of his customers owed him £3 and he owed the customer £5, would he hand over the £5 and. let his 'account for £3 stand over? If Mr Kelly is willing to do business on these lines, let him just make it known by an “ad.” in this paper, and he will find a legion pf customers “plumb crazy” to do business with him. I am afraid the heavy study of W.E.A. economics has/got under the “lid” of my friend Gregory. He is surely an altered man. Feeling, as I do, a deep regard for his welfare, I would advise him to tike a spell ftom the heavy W.E.A. literature and have a turn with “Shorty McCabe.” “Shorty” is “sure sound” in practiclearing things of mist and cobwebs cal common sense, and has a way of -I am, etc., WM. MURDOCH. Shannon, November 2, 1921.