An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Sruth > Volume 1 > No. 38, 5 September 1968

Newspaper of current Events in the Highlands,
the Islands and in Scotland
DI-ARDAOIN, 5 LATHA DE’N SULTUIN 1968
THURSDAY, 5 th SEPTEMBER 1968
6d
No. 38
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Abertarff House Inverness
Threat To Boycott
MacBrayne’s
At a protest meeting held by
the town and district councils in
Stornoway on Tuesday, it was
suggested that traders in Lewis
might withhold the 10 per cent,
increase effective from Monday,
when paying freight charges to
MacBrayne's
? Councillor Sandy Matheson, de¬
ploring the fact that charges had
been increased 14 times within
the past 22 years went further:
“ Let us v ithhold our business
| from MacBrayne's altogether. It
would mean the community would
have to tighten their belts, but
we had to withstand the seamen's
strike for seven weeks. Perhaps
the fishing boats would lend a
hand. " he said.
The Secretary of State, Mr
William Ross, is due in Storno¬
way on Monday. However, it is
unlikely that he will be able to'
I meet a proposed six-man depu¬
tation as he has a full itinerary,
j He will meet two of the town’s
Bailies who will raise the matter.
" With the highest unemploy¬
ment rate in Britain, it is cer-
I; tainly not possible to encourage
W industry to this island as long
as increases of this kind
I can be put on at the drop
I of a hat,” commented Provost
1 Donald Stewart.
I "If the Prices and incomes
I Board had any sense of fairness
I and justice they would realise
I that this is an iniquituous situa-
1 lion.”
The ‘ alarming ’ increase of 10
I per cent, prompted the suggestion
I that other shipping companies be
I invited to study the feasibility of
| providing a service to Stornoway.
I Supporting the suggestion, Coun-
I cillor John MacLeod said they
I were all aware that the Stornoway
I run was paying MacBrayne's.
H “We hardly ever get notice of
i these increases, and I am sure
I this is done deliberately,” he
I added.
I The meeting were unanimous in
1 their condemnation of Mac-
| Brayne s action and felt that only
B complete rejection of MacBrayne’s
I would bring results.
An Conumii For
The Islands
At the Annual General
Meeting of the Northern
Regional Council held in In¬
verness on Saturday, 31st
August, a resolution was
passed to recommend to the
Executive Council that an
office be established in Stor¬
noway with a full time em¬
ployee within the next 12
months. The Council recog¬
nise the need for increased
activity by An Comunn in
the Gaelic-speaking areas. It
is essential to consolidate the
position of Gaelic in the Is¬
lands if any real progress is
to be achieved.
The meeting unanimously
agreed vo elect as chairman
Mr D. J. MacCuish. A fior
Ghaidheal, Mr MacCuish was
born at Finsbay, Harris,
where he attended primary
school. From Finsbay he went
to Kingussie and thence to
Aberdeen University where
he graduated MA. He holds
a Ll.B. degree from Edin¬
burgh University.
Pre-war, Mr MacCuish was
with the Land Court and dur¬
ing the war years he served
as Captain in the Royal
Marines. On demobilisation
he took up an appointment
in a Solicitors’ Office in St
Andrew’s House and in 1955
he moved to Inverness with
the Crofters’ Commission.
Cc/l cl nvevness
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TRAVEL RUGS AND TARTANS
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Kilt and Skirt-making Service Complete Highland Outfits
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JAMES PRINGLE LIMITED
HOLM WOOLLEN MILLS, INVERNESS Telephone Irverness 31042/3
SKYE WOOLLEN MILLS, PORTREE, SKYE Telephone Portree 8?
The lonely sentinel in Glen Scaladale^ Lewis. The sheep in Lewis is of major economic
significance as it provides a proportion of the wool clip required by the indigenous Harris
Tweed industry. [Photo by Angus MacArthur, Stornoway
Provisional
Unemployment Figures
The number of wholly unem¬
ployed people (excluding school
leavers) registered at Employment
Exchanges and Youth Employment
Offices in Scotland at August 12,
1968, was 77,332 (59,069 men,
2,100 boys, 15,007 women and
1,156 girls). Seasonally adjusted the
figure was about 85,600 or 3.9 per
cent, of the estimated number of
employees. Five weeks previously,
on July 8, 1968, the percentage was
3.9 and in August 1967 it was 4.0.
The number of registered unem¬
ployed school leavers on August 12,
1968, was 2,699.
The number of temporarily
stopped workers registered on Aug¬
ust 12 was 1,532 (837 men, 36 boys,
634 women and 25 girls). This was
139 more than on July 8.
The total number of people reg¬
istered as unemployed on August
12 was 81,563 (59,906 men, 3.886
boys, 15.641 women and 2,130 girls)
or 3.8 per cent, of the estimated
total of employees. On July 8 the
percentage was 3.7 and in August
1967 it was 3.8.
The percentage rate for Scotland
as represented by the total number
of people unemployed was 3.8 and
for Great Britain 2.4.
The figures for the crofting
counties are not so good:—
Caithness and Sutherland (679
males, 255 females) — 6.9%.
Inverness, Ross and Cromarty
(2,351 males, 372 females)—'6.4%.
Orkney (167 males, 40 females)—
4.8%.
Zetland (256 males, 58 females)
Argyll (833 males, 253 females)
The percentage for the area as
a whole is 6.4
Once again at 18.3%, the figure
for Stornoway is much higher than
Fort William (3.5%), Portree
4.3%), Inverness (4-6%) and Ding¬
wall and Invergorden (both 5.9%).
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