Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-23
FAKE @SANTAS"
DOOMED in CITY
Commerce Chambers Char
tiles Bureau Says They
/ Defile Christmas Legend
voLuNTEERs" AGREE

The street-corner Santa Claus - the
pseudo St Nick with the unkempt horse
hair whlskers. cotton eyebrows and padded
ronffd stomach will be absent from the
fhorouEhfares Of Philadelphia this Yule-
eide, u the efforts OF the Charities Bureau
81 the Chamber Of Commetce to procure his
elimination are successful.
one charitable organization, the voiun-
seers Of America, has agreed TO cooperate
with the charities bureau and abolish the
pected to fall IN line before the opening Of
the Christmas shopping rush
One Of the principal reasons that M. u.
GriHth, head Of Charities Bureau. wishes to
Danish forever the fake ST. Nick of the
Christmas shopping season Is because he Is
convinced that these false Santa Clauses
sprlnkled along Chestnut and Market streets
defle the prettiest legend OF childhood.
Some persons claim" said Mr. Griffith,
that these street Santa Clauses give n
bright Chrlstmasy touch TO our streets
during the holiday season. but tell you, we
are paying extensively for this touch, In
nondonng the street Santa Claus custom
we are helping to besmlrch one Of the finest
legends, OF childhood.
1T is like deilng fine painting. or
throwing mud at beautiful piece OF
statuaty.
The average normal four-year-old boy
who thinks much around Christmas time OF
the coming journey of Santa Claus over the
housetops with his pack Of toys is not
fooled by these false Santa Clauses our
streets His little soul Is enthraled by the
beauty OF the legend and he pictures the
prancins reindeer and the putting and
grunting of stout Santa as he squeezes down
the chimney.
Then the boys mother takes him into the
shopping district before Christmas to look
at the toys. The boy sees the fake Santa
Claus on the street corner. The false Santa
Claus has cheap whskers which maybe
make poor job of conceaing black mus
tsche underneath The false Santa has on
cheap cheesecloth suit and has cotton
stuck on his eyebrows.
The small boy began to smell n rat he
has suspicion that he has been buncoed
and wonder after all the whole story of
Santa Claus is not Just a fairy story. Thus
the whole legend tumbles about his ears
wye do not wish to curb the spirit of
giving. but we believe that the whole idea
Of the street Santa Claus is economically
wrong. The plea has been made that the
street Santa Claus Jobs are given to men
out OF work, but this no longer holds good
with the present great scarcity of labor.
There are now jobs for everybody who In
willing and able to work.
Colonel Christopher c. Heron. head of
TIE Volunteers of AMERICA, has responded
quickly and intellgentlX't9 our plea that
the street Santa Claus ,bhgabolshed. We
made the same request of the salvation
Army and of an organization known as the
American Rescue Workers The Salvation
Army replied that It did not have street
Santa Clauses Officers of the organization
pointed out that they placed Salvation Army
lasses to Solic@ on the streets at Christmas
time But the principle Is the same, In so
far as II involves street solicitation and
we hope that the Salvation Army will
fall in line. The American Rescue Work.
ers station false Santa Clauses on the
streets. officers of that organization have
ignored our request but we hope that public
70 70 fha
fine example set by Colonel Heron, of the
Volunteers of America"
Colonel Herron's letter to the Charities
Bureau. agreeing to cooperate with the
bureau regarding the abolition of street
Santa Clauses, follows:
NJ. d. Grlf1th.
Secretary Charities Bureau,
Chamber of Commerce,
Dear Sir-In reference to our con-
versatlon in your Office. herewith beg
to confirm my statement that | am
personally opposed to street solicitation
for Christmas efforts In Philadelphia
by the placing of Santa Clauses on the
corners and In the business sections
] believe that the system Is extrav-
agant as the net amount received after
deducting incidental expenses is so
small as not to be worth the effort
The chief reason advanced In behalf
of the system is that 1t furnishes em-
ployment for those persons who would
otherwise be out of employment In
view of the unusual demand for men,
in Philadelphia today there Is oc-
easion for any system creating work OF
this character at the holiday season,
Very truly yours,
COL. CHRISTOPHER c. HERRON.
The idea of the street Santa Claus
originated in Philadelphia sixteen years
ago. and since then the system has spread
all over the United States. 1t Is considered
interesting that the first city to adopt the
custom should be the first to agitate for its
abolishment