THE front page story of the Selby edition of the Evening Press on December 5 (Councillors to get wage), relates to inflation-linked salaries of the Selby District councillors, an issue I do not intend to comment on at this stage.

What I do object to are the comments of the council leader Mr Dean Howson that: "the days are gone when people will do something for nothing. If the people of Selby want the best representatives, there's no other way but to pay them".

I have no axe to grind with Mr Howson, but if he got to know the (unpaid) parish councillors a little better at Hemingbrough he would find two work endlessly for the local church (unpaid), one drives the local community bus weekly (unpaid), one has recently given up charity work due to ill health (unpaid).

Finally I would like to say in my circle of friends there are many that willingly do something for nothing, also because of one vacancy on the parish council we have four candidates, all willing to do something for nothing.

R Chilvers,

Landing Lane,

Hemingbrough,

Selby.

...TO whom is Coun Dean Howson referring when he states "the days are gone when people will do something for nothing"?

If he is speaking of himself then fair enough, we know where we stand with him.

However, to allow this generalisation to pass without comment is to ignore all those people who still do something for nothing for the benefit of us all - school governors, voluntary workers, neighbours, friends, often complete strangers.

For these and many others who do work for nothing, especially during the Christmas period, many of us are truly grateful.

Kathleen Lovatt,

Church Court,

Updated: 09:31 Saturday, December 08, 2001