An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Sruth > Volume 1 > No. 31, 30 May 1968

Sruth, Di-ardaoin, 30 latha de'n Cheitein 1968
Eleven
TORY CONFERENCE
MacBrayne’s and B.R. Statistics
Misleading
British Rail and David Mac¬
Brayne’s took a drubbing when
transport facilities were de¬
bated. They were accused of
connivance in feeding mislead¬
ing statistics to gullible Minis¬
ters of Transport and Secre-
traies of State for Scotland to
persuade them that outlying
ports in the Islands and Scot¬
tish mainland did not warrant
rail links or even port facilities.
Mr Roderick Macieod, West¬
ern Isles, moved a resolution
calling on the next Conservative
Government to bring in an
integrated transport policy
which would not only solve the
problems of the Highlands and
Islands but also pave the way
to national solvency and pros¬
perity.
“ The figures provided by
British Rail and David Mac¬
Brayne’s have been deliberately
cooked,” Mr Macieod claimed.
By using non-cargo ships and
differential rates from different
ports they were able to present
and entirely false picture of the
simation.
For example, they quoted the
costs for shipping hay to Stor¬
noway as £7 a ton from Glas¬
gow, but nearly £12 a ton from
Mallaig which was only half
the sea distance.
Communications
For the Highlands to ' be
opened up to tourism and in¬
dustry the first essential was a
fast ferry service across the
North Minch which would open
up Wester Ross as well as the
Islands.
Tourism was a great thing
but Scotland did not want to
live on tourism alone. Scotland
needed industry, and industry
followed whenever an area
was opened up by better com¬
munications.
Mr Macieod added: “ We
cannot have a prosperous nation
until people in the South realise
we are entitled to all the bene¬
fits they have enjoyed for years.
Is it any wonder that the S.N.P.
WHAT ABOUT IT GPO ?
A reader has written to us
to point out the apparent
short-comings of the GPO.
The new postage stamps
with bridges feature a bilin¬
gual (Welsh/English) inscrip¬
tion on the Menai Bridge.
This may well be the result
of Welsh having equality of
status with English.
As one of the series features
Aberfeldy Bridge, one may
justly pose the question:
Why no “ Drochaid Obair-
pheallaidh.”
Comprehensive
Report
The number of secondary
school pupils, in Scotland at¬
tending schools organised along
comprehensive lines is nearly 50
per cent. This figure will of
course rise markedly as the new
comprehensive schools and ex¬
tensions now planned are com¬
pleted. All schemes submitted
by the 35 education authorities
have been wholly or substanti¬
ally approved subject to further
negotiations on certain aspects.
These points are made in
“ Education in Scotland in
1967,” the annual report o£_the
Scottish Education Department,
which is published by H.M.S.O.
price 9s.
Certificated Teachers
The report also notes that
the number of certificated
teachers employed in primary
and secondary schools rose to
39,692, an increase of 333 over
1966, and forecasts that the
supply of teachers for primary
schools is likely to improve
substantially over the next few
years. The shortage of teachers
in secondary schools is, how¬
ever, still serious and likely to
remain so and the question of
supply and recruitment is
priority.
DINGWALL
PROVINCIAL MOD
THURSDAY (EVENING) and FRIDAY
6th and 7 th June
THURSDAY Evening, commencing 7 p.m.
All Senior Competitions ; Junior Chanter and Bagpipes ;
Highland Dancing
FRIDAY, commencing 9 a.m.
Junior Oral, Vocal, Choral and Instrumental
ADJUDICATORS :
Gaelic — Dr Annie MacKenzie, Mr Lachlan Mac¬
Kinnon and Mr Roderick Morrison.
Music — Miss Mary Hogg, Mr Peter F. Johnston,
Mr Donald P. MacGillivray.
Highland Dancing — Miss Betty Jessiman
Guest Artistes
at Prize-winners’ Concert on Friday evening
GEORGE CLAYEY and JOAN MACKENZIE
get support when things like
this are allowed to happen?”
Mr Michael Noble, M.P. for
Argyll and a former Secretary
of State for Scotland, summed
up the debate on the motion,
which was passed with only two
dissenting votes. He blamea
the Government’s attitude to
transport facilities in the High¬
lands. In particular, he con¬
demned the rejection of the
“ overland route” to Islay and
Jura on the .grounds that the
country could not afford it.
T axation
He declared: “ The Govern¬
ment have taken £2200 million
in extra taxation out of our
pockets. Even if Scotland is
only entitled to one-tenth of
this it is still £220 million.
“ The monev is there. Thev
have taken it from you and me,
but they are not prepared to
spend it on the Highlands.”
The Railway Invigoration
Society announces the publica¬
tion of a book entitled “ The
Great Isle of Wight Train
Robbery.”
False figures — bogus infor¬
mation — deliberate run-down;
these charges made at many
railway closure enquiries all
over the country are proved to
the hilt in this book, which
takes the lid off the true facts
behind the recent Isle of Wight
railway closures.
The deliberately planned
closure of the .one remaining
Isle of Wight line in 1975 is
exposed from a secret British
Rail document! Can the Minis¬
ter of Transport remain silent
on this issue after publication
of these facts?
Any further information can
be obtained from the author
and Railway Invigoration Soci¬
ety Isle of Wight Representa¬
tive:— R. E. Burroughs,
“ Spring Vale,” The Grove,
Ventnor, Isle of Wight.
NEW HUMANE TRAP
A new humane trap, the
Lloyd trap, can now be used
in Scotland.
An Order amending the
Spring Traps Approval (Scot¬
land) Order 1958 has been
made by Mr William Ross,
MP, Secretary of State for
Scotland. The Order approves
the use of the Lloyd trap, a
new spring trap, for the pur¬
pose of killing or taking grey
squirrels, stoats, weasels, rats,
mice or other small ground
vermin.
CELTIC ART COLLEGE
The Tutors at the Saturday
morning Celtic Art Classes at
Larbert High School are ar¬
ranging that the Drumming
Class under Drum-Major Bruce
give a short iccital at 10 a.m.
on Saturday, 22nd June 1968,
in the School Hall or play¬
ground (depending on the
weather) for parents and any
other interested persons.
The Drumming Class will be
accompanied on the Bagpipes
by the two Bagpipe Tutors —
Air Hugh Wilson (Principal
Tutor) and Mr John Graham.
WENDY WOOD
IN SKYE
Here in Skye the air is so
full of larks’ song that you
feel you are inhaling the hap¬
piness with every breatn.
From the wide peat bog as
the foreground to the foot¬
hills, neither eye nor mind is
trauchled with detail, and
then the mighty hills soar up
and up to jagged crests like
tidal waves of lava. From a
distance the inland loch is
ultramarine blue, but at its
edge you look down into a
moving mosaic of golden sun¬
light. The large amount of
sky, brushed with clouds, is
infinity revealed.
To look at Blaaven’s maj¬
estic mass makes the text
about faith removing moun¬
tains most impressive, but, as
an artist, I do sometimes re¬
move a whole range of hills
an inch or two in a sketch—
I thank God that I am in
among the hills again. I feel
so insecure in flat land, and
to be honest, the lowland
lumps depress me. It is good
also to be again among men
whose eyes are focussed for
distance, and whose mouths
express contentment; and
with dogs who are an earnest
part of working life, in con¬
trast to the industrial under¬
slip and underarm dogs.
I know the blue of distant
hills in many lands, but the
blue of Highland hills is
more translucent with h pene¬
trating luminousity. Indeed
all colours are so heightened
that I feel as if 1 am living in¬
side a rainbow. Colour is ac¬
centuated just now by the
flowers; drifts of wild hya¬
cinths under sunlit beech
leaves, patches of clean-faced
primroses, and a few violets
spattered here and there.
When the hay is ready,the
field has a variety of 27 blos¬
soms, the result of dung and
seaweed. When the hay is
made, it smells like plum¬
pudding and the cows defi¬
nitely prefer it to the ryerita
monotony of ordinary grass-
hay. I have noticed that fields
that have a variety of flowers,
seldom have much ragmost,
buidhean or Stinking Wijlie.
The cattle of course will not
touch it fresh, but it is an
accumulative poison when in¬
cluded in hay, and I have
wondered whether it creates
hallucinations, as it is said
that if you sit astride a piece
on Midsummer Night, you are
flown wherever you wish to
be — definately damaging to
Barbara Castle’s Transport
Bill.
Small wonder that a crof¬
ter does not bother with a
garden, for forbye the fields,
yellow iris runs along the
shore, wild roses are as plenti¬
ful as brambles and foxgloves
show their spires in the
woods, as well as forgetme-
nots like drapped sky along
the ditches. Who could find
time in spring to tend a gar¬
den when spreading dung,
cutting peat, and sowing is
added to the usual chores ?
A vegetable garden yes, ’tho
the things need to be caged
like monkeys at the zoo, and
if they are really safe from
cow and deer, its a day's
work to get in to cut a cab¬
bage.
Failte Do Lybster
THE PORTLAND ARMS
extends a warm welcome
Salmon Fishing, Trout Fishing
Sea Angling
Good Fare and a Fine Cellar
SANDEMAN
SCOTCH
The King of Whiskies
iPxu'i UiAye
freatfui de
cMiu
dcui^aicdte.
“ Righ nan Uisge Beatha ”
SANDEMAI9 & SONS LTD., 25 & 27 FORTH ST., EDINBURGH