An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Sruth > Volume 1 > No. 13, 21 September 1967

21. S'R i?67
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Newspaper of Current Events in the Highlands,
the Islands and in Scotland
incorporating
THE LOCHABER DIARY
DI-ARDAOIN, 2 1 mh AN T-SULTUIN 1967
THURSDAY. 21st SEPTEMBER 1967
6d
SCOTLAND’S BI-LINGUA L NEWSPAPER —
Unemployment In
the Western Isles
!
The TSMV ‘ Hebrides ’ at Tarbert, Harris. Before 1964, passengers travelling to the Outer Isles and
between the islands were largely dependent on three mail steamers, sailing from railheads at Oban, Mallaig
and Kyle of Lochalsh, while a small number crossed 4on cargo boats. In 1964 the ferry service was
completely reorganised, and the impact on Harris is still not quite clear. Statistics show a marked in¬
crease in cars and in goods tonnage at Tarbert and its Skye counterpart, Uig. In fact the ‘Hebrides’
is attracting traffic away'Trom Stornoway to Tarbert. The number.^of passengers carried by the ‘ Hebrides ’
already exceeds that carried by thfe Stornoway boat, ‘ Loch Seaforth,” while seven times more cars use
Tarbert than Stornoway. Tarbert is also becoming a subcentre for goods distribution. There is a point
of view that the tourist trade has been put too much in front of the commercial and economic needs of
Lewis and Harris in the proposal of the vehicle ferry. IPhoto by Angus MacArthur, Stornoway
This statement was issued
after a meeting of An Com-
unn’s Executive Council this
week.
An Comunn Gaidhealach
is becoming increasingly
worried about the high unem¬
ployment level of 25.6 per
cent, in the islands of Lewis
and Harris. The decline in
the Harris tweed industry
and the closing of the anor¬
thosite quarry in Harris em¬
phasise the need for urgent
action, and they are to ask
the Highlands and Islands
Development Board to in¬
itiate a crash programme to
i stimulate and diversify the
' economy in the islands.
It was suggested that mar¬
ket research facilities would
help in finding new, and de-
j veloping existing, outlets for
j traditional products while a
I programme was being pre-
I parea. Further capitaHnvest-
! ment in a Stornoway-based
i fishng fleet would increase
! the possibility of employ-
! ment in fish processing.
The present situation
j amply demonstrated the
' fear expressed in the Ross-
; shire Development Plan that
| the population in the land¬
ward areas of Lewis would
decrease to 1 1,700 by 1981
if there was no increase in
economic activity. If such a
situation arose it would
hardly be in keeping with
the hopes associated with
the establishment of the
Highlands and Islands De¬
velopment Board.
An Comunn feels that
continuing depopulation in
the west and the islands
would cause irreparable
damage to the language and
culture and the maintenance
of a viable population in
these areas is an immediate
priority. They are to ask
M.P.s to obtain statistics of
changes in levels of the in¬
sured population over an I 8-
month period.
Unemployment Figures
The. following figures were
released last week:—
Lewis and Harris ... 25.6%
Inverness ... ... 4.3%
Oban 5.4%
Lerwick 7.6 %
Scotland 3.8
Great Britain 2.4%
Lewis and Harris must be
wondering whether it is
worth while remaining a part
of Britain.
Viewing with the greatest
concern the rise in unemploy¬
ment, increased air fares and
other factors which affect
island life, a delegation from
Lewis District Council is to
take the road to Westminster
to state a case for the island.
It is possible that repre¬
sentatives from other local
authorities will accompany
the Lewis delegation. The
decision to make the journey
was taken at a meeting be¬
tween the Lewis District
Council and Mr M. K. Mac¬
Millan, Labour Member for
the Western Isles. Stornoway
Town Council and Ross and
Cromarty are being asked to
send delegates. Mr MacMil¬
lan has promised to arrange
a meeting as “ high up ” as
possible.
Aspects on the agenda for
discussion will include tour¬
ism, roads, transport and
communications, fishing and
industrial development. In
particular the unemployment
problem has already resulted
in some Lewis families leav¬
ing the island. The recession
in the Harris tweed industry
is being felt by weaver-
crofters who are classed as
self-employed workers and
are not elegible for unem¬
ployment benefit.
AN COMUNN’S
NEW EXECUTIVE
The members of the Executive
Council for 1967/68 are:—
Mr Donald Grant, M.A., M.Ed., B.A.,
Glasgow
Mr I. R. Macka/, M.A., LL.B., 19
Union Street, Inverness
R,ev. A. Beaton, M.A., The Manse,
Dundonald, Kilmarnock
Mr Calum Robertson, 23 Wood¬
lands Drive, Glasgow, C.3
Mr D. Thomson, M.A., F.E.I.S., Atholl
Villa, Oban
Miss K. Matheson, Firemore, Inver-
asdale, Ross-shire
Mr Tom Maclver, M.A., Further
Education Officer, County
Buildings, Dingwall
Miss Lucy Cameron, 42 Kilmallie
Road, Caol, Fort William
Mr'D. J. MacCuish, M.A., LL.B.,
Moorlands, 11 Drummond Rd.,
Inverness
Mr R. Mackinnon, M.A., Corarder,
139 Glasgow Road, Perth
Mrs R. Bannerman, The Old Manse,
Balmaha, by Glasgow
The Nominated Members are:—
Dr J. A. Maclean, Director of Edu¬
cation, Inverness-shire
Mr T. B. Duncan, Glasgow, repre¬
senting Glasgow Corporation
Mr Ronald Macdonald, Director of
Education, Ross-shire
Professor R. Thomson, Glasgow
University, representing the
Celtic Departments of the three
universities
Provost A. R. MacLeod, Mull
resenting Argyll County Council
Mr J. A. Smith, Vice Principal,
Jordanhill College, represent¬
ing Joint Committee of Col¬
leges of Education
Mr D. Kennedy, District Clerk,
Stornoway, representing Lewis
and Harris
Mr J. Maclnnes, District Clerk,
Daliburgh, representing Uists
and Barra
GLE BHEAG DE
THIGHEAN-OSDA
MI-FHREAGARRACH
ANN AN SIORRACHD
INBHIR NIS
"S e gle bheag de na tighean-
osda agus naig tighean comhnaidh
a tha a’ tigrsinri 'aoigheachd do
luchd-turuis nacn eil a' deanamh
ullachaidh freagarrach air an son.
’S e seo a thuirt an Coirneal Uis-
dean Macllleathain a rinn
sgrudadh o chionn ghoirid air da
cheud tigh-osda agus tigh comh¬
naidh ann an Siorrachd Inbhir Nis
as leth Bord an Luchd-Turuis.
Thuirt e nach robthach coig as
an da cheud air an d’ rinn e
sgruachdadh nach robh freagar¬
rach airson luchd-turuis—’s e sin
aonan as a h-uile da fhichead.
Tha Bord an Luchd-Turuis am
beachd leabhran a chur a mach
anns am bi ainmean nan tighean-
osda agus nan tighean comhnaidh
a tha iad-san a' meas freagarrach
airson luchd-turuis. Thuirt an
Coirneal nach fhaigheadh an
fheadhainn nach do shaoil esan
freagarrach an ainmean anns an
leabhrann seo ach gu faodadh iad
iarraidh air a’ Bhord sgrudadh
eile a dheanamh orra agus gu
faigheadh iad an ainmean anns an
leabhar an deaghaidh sin nam
bitheadh iad air leasachadh gu
leor a dheanamh air na tighean.
Thuirt e cuideachd gun tug am
Bord comhairle agus cuideachadh
do choig air fhichead as a h-uile
ceud dhe 'n fheadhainn air an d’
rinn iad sgrudadh agus dh’ innis
iad do dh’ fheadhainn eile ciamar
a gheibheadh iad cuideachadh
airgid bho Bhord Leasachaidh na
Gaidhealtachd.
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