I AM sure many of your readers will agree, there are situations where the principles underlying the welfare system are grossly abused. Far too many are dipping their hands too deeply into the ?honey pot? and I venture to suggest the situation is rapidly getting out of hand. As a senior citizen and one of the many who make no demands on the ?community honey pot? for benefits of any description, may I through the medium of your letters column enlist your patience to protest against the latest deluge of comments castigating the elderly for draining the county funds of scarce resources? It seems to have become a favoured pastime! It we decide along the lines that those who have should give, there exists a somewhat tenuous argument in favour of contributing according to circumstance, but if we calculate the amount the so-called ?golden oldies? are required to pay in community tax and balance that against service received we have an extraordinary contradiction where those who pay most make the least demand on community services. I feel tempted to plagiarise Mr Churchill?s famous remark ? ?Never has so much been owed by so many to so few.? Ted Wall Underways Bere Alston
