DECEMBER 06, 1961 (Georgetown) – SUPPORTERS over the weekend were bemoaning the fact that their petition to unseat Santa has been dismissed.

Ignoring their obvious discomfiture, the sack-suited Santa, as red and as merry as ever, is now officially installed as duly-elected representative of the children and womenfolk for the next three weeks in and around the commercial centres.

His arrival last week came after Tradition, that “Season’d” judge, ruled that while the petitioners had proved that certain salary irregularities prevailed, these irregularities did not so extremely prevail as to prevent the “old man” from retaining his seat in the shopping centres.

The Santa petition was not the only thing thrown out at the start of the shopping season.

Husbands were suffering the same fate. Those who were not thrown out of favour with their wives because of general disagreement over what should go down on lists, were out of pocket as their womenfolk went on an end-of-the-month shopping spree with a vengeance.

Then there were those providers who were so put out by the non-arrival of the long-delayed pay increases, they were ready to do just about anything. Whatever happens in the days ahead, one thing’s certain: Santa’s coming into his own, means that a lot of people will be going – flat “broke!”

(Researched by Cassandra Khan/Guyana Chronicle)