An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Sruth > Volume 2 > No. 79, 2 April 1970

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BI-LINGUAL NEWSPAPER OF CURRENT EVENTS IN THE HIGHLANDS AND THE ISLANDS AND IN SCOTLAND
SRUTH
DI-ARDAOIN, 2mh LATHA DE’N GHIBLEAN 1970 THURSDAY, 2nd APRIL 1970 No. 79 Sixpence
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GAELIC
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AN COMUNN GAIDHEALACH
Abertarff House Inverness
FACTORY PLAN
FOR LEWIS
PLANS for a new factory
for Lewis estimated to cost
£10,000 were approved by
Stornoway Trustees, land¬
lords of the site at their
week-end meeting.
The factory, to produce
sausages and allied products,
will be based at Pa\Kend,
near Stornoway, if tnc pro-
Support For
Commission
FOLLOWING condemnation
by the Western Isles Crofters
Union of the opposition of
Mr Alasdair Mackenzie, M.P.
for Ross and Cromarty, to
the proposals of the Crofters
Commission for modernisa¬
tion of crofting leading to
crofters becoming their own
landlords, other crofters
unions have written . to the
Federation of Crofters Un¬
ions criticising Mr Maclcen-
zie’s views and supporting
the Commission’s proposals.
posals of its backers, three
island exiles living in Glas¬
gow, go ahead.
The Parkend site, of nine
acres, has been set aside for
industrial purposes, but at
the moment there are no in¬
dustries on it. It is a mile
from Stornoway Airport and
also from Stornoway harbour,
which makes it ideal for
export purposes.
GAELIC IN
CAPE BRETON
A CAPE BRETON oorres-
jxmdent writes: “There is a
terrible snow storm tonight
{17/1/70). All classesi, in¬
cluding my Gaelic classes,
have been cancelled. I teach
Gaelic from seven to ten o’
clock in the evening. Classes
have been organised in Pon
Mcr, Boisdale and Mabou.
My cousin teaches about 60
children in Mabou.”
April in the Western Isles — the garden, Kiloran House, Colonsay
BORDERS DEVELOPMENT
THE border counties of
Roxburgh, Selkirk, Peebles
and Berwick, faced with a
steady population decline of
one per cent, per annum
over the past 25 years, have
announced plans to attract
industries to the area, in an
effort to reverse the trend.
The joint planning advisory
committee plan to boost the
population of the border
counties from 120,000 to
170,000 before 1980.
Chairman of the committee,
Sir William Strang Steel, at
a meeting in Glasgow on
Tuesday, pointed out that
until recent years, the de-
populationrate had been
higher than for the Highland
Area. Sir William stated tha1:
the objective was threefold—
to retain the brain and brawn
of border youth, bring back
some of those who had al¬
ready left the area and wel¬
come newcomers into the
community.
A pilot scheme had been
tried i n Kelso and Jed¬
burgh to investigate the de¬
sire of local people to return
to the area if opportune ties
were offered. The response
has been very encouraging.
Mr J. Alastair Bilton, de¬
velopment officer for the
Gaidhlig ’san
Olaind
BHA e ’na fhior aobhar-
thoileachais dhuinn an t-
seachdhuin seo fiathachadh
fhaighinn gu posadh an
Eindhoven ’na h-Olaind.
Ach ’se an doigh anns
an deach am fiathachadh
chuir am mach a thaitinn
ruinn: Tha na cairtean air
an clo-bhualadh ’sa, Ghaid-
Wg.
committee emphasised that
they were not trying to
attract big industrial com¬
plexes, but would concentrate
on smaller units turning out
small products of high value
such as in the plastics and
electronics -industries.
The committee have had!
assurances that are regarded'
as “just as firm as those for
new towns.” There are sup-,
ported by commitments from
the Board of Trade to bu’ld
factories, apd the Ministry,
of Housing to provide plan¬
ning permission and finance
for new housing.
As m the Highlands, the per¬
centage of border youngsters'
with leaving certificate passes,
wbo are able to find employ¬
ment at home is very low •—
less than 20 per cent, in 1969;
However, approximately 80.
per cent, of the otners had
been placed locally in the
same year.
The immediate need is for
sources of employment that
will accommodate people of a
higher educational standard.
CLUB LEABHAR
NOW
AVAILABLE
THE SERPENT
BY
NEIL M. GUNN
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Church Street
Inverness