The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 2

7 Letters To The Editor Citizenship Talks A Way 1 MONDAY. FEBRUARY 15. 1960 To Say "Thanks" ALONE" IN AFFAIRS By A STAFF CORRESPONDENT fYS the lawn outside Canberra's Albert Hall, in the shadow of a semi circle of fluttering flags, a smart, white-coated band from Dun-troon made music. Inside, a drum rolled. Delegate and guests stood The Prime Minister and the Minister for Immigration, Mr Downer, with their party, walked up the aisle with solemn tread.

As they mounted the plat- was mentioned to this observer, its most important purposes Is to form in a blinding glare of TV does not seem wildly help the Minister and the depart, lights, cameras whirred and improbable. ment to shape their policy and Tk. ki. From the broad Australian correct mistakes. Point of view-, the politicians This may hive been the case in previous years, but it is hard to nyuiin mm year'i gathering was news to the The discussions were based on tour papers prepared for the con- wtion at the department's request, inese were: ana wvuiiiiim- tfou of Migrant Children ia Australia bv a social committee of the Commonwealth tamjgre- Advisory Council headed by "GOING IT 71 FOREIGN -1 The advocacy by Canada's for External Affairs an independent foreign policy uninfluenced by Britain or the United States or by the need to act as "honest broker" between these two great friendly Powers will arouse considerable interest, if not r.uecessarily sympathy, in Aus-tralia.

Canada and Australia have, as Mr Diefenbaker has emphasised, a great many things in common, and not least of them the special links both countries have, with A Britain and the United States. b'h countries there oper-t- vate, in different degrees, pressures, not always harmoni- tusly exerted, from London and Washington; and both countries have hitherto believed that one of their important functions in the field of foreign relations was. the reconciliation when necessary British and American points. Now Mr Green, it seems, wants to shape a Canadian foreign policy governed solely by Canada's assessment of her rt- own interests or of the merits 'of a particular case. This assertion of independence is natural enough.

In the first place, Canada is a thrusting young nation of rising impor- tance in the world and with a strong national sense, and rightly feels she has a useful contribution of her own to make. In the second, the role of "honest broker" is difficult and frequently thankless, and the need to consider the opinions of both London and -Washington can sometimes, as "in the instance of recognition of Red Chjna, inhibit the formulation of policy. Canadians also have been considerably galled on occa aau tarn 1 isiAPtk 0 Aflai say was It worth it? After listen- IO various oeoates it woum aaakj a snap judgment, be wholly fair. To use. ones anin.

th l.nnmM politics, the convention did have an intaneible lone-ranee t.iuv. cvrwuuy hj ine immigra- tion Department, and associated departments, and nrobablv ta Australia as well. It was an exercise in what are in tone uays, as puDIK as such it could not have been better. The convention, in fact, was a good way for the Federal Govern- ment to say "thank you" to men and women all over Australia who do much to make a success of the migration program without thought 01 reward. iBese are the voluntary workers wno in Mr Aianzies' wnrn "ar- interested ia human welfare and in the men and women who come to Australia as minds and souls." This annual visit to Canberra, the meetings with like-minded people trom other States, the exenange of views, the meeting if.1.

Prune Minister, the JV ami the Governor-General must make members of a "rem nome ready to redouble their efforts for the "VJ- However, officers of the Immi- grauon Department recoil from the Idea that the convention i limply a Pay-off' for services tney insist mat one of management's Role In Assimilating Migrants into Industry by Mr James N. Kirby, a leading figure in industry and commerce. Some Aspects of Australia's Futar Developmcal by Sir William Hudson, Commissioner of the Snowy Mountains Authority, k. Admiration by George and Rachelina Masero. an Italian miarant counte T)Jiat fVtnfinprl Ueoaie UOnnneU The delegates were, split into groups, and each group in turn discussed the papers.

The papers were admirable, but the scope of debate was confined, It revolved largely round such questions as these: Language. Should foreign migrants ce compelled to learn English before they leave for Australia? Should their children be bilingual? There was unani- mous aareement that a thorough knowledge of English wa essential, but opinion was divided on wnetner ennaren snouid be LONDON LETTER Britain's Railway Problems; A Stern Warning To Mr GaitskeU. Wearing Shorts To 1 rThe City Sir, As one who has weathered the storms of ridicule and criticism by wearing shorts to tbe city ever since the war ended in 194S, I congratulate the Lord Mayor, Alderman Jensen, on bis courageous lead in male dress reform. It is about time men got out of hot suits in our nr-tropical summer in fact I was surprised at the end of the war that thousands of demobilised Servicemen, who wore shorts during the war, did not continue the fashion at tbe lime. However, now that on in such a high office as tbe Lord Mayor has made a start, I hope it will soon be generally adopted as a sqmmer outfit, although it may meat opposition from the tailoring trade.

But so dti' the introduction of swim trunks in 1937 meet opposition from the old-type costume manufacturers. Yet within weeks they had to accept the inevitable, as people were determined to wear trunks, including myself. Tbe question of white aborts which need frequent laundering can be solved by wearing greys, fawns or other colours, and in case of sudden drops in our temperature it io easy to have a pullover or cardigan handy. G. R.

STEVENS. Concord. Sir, If men are going to adopt the wearing of shorts in tbe city 1 would suggest that they follow the pattern of those worn in the Navy. These are" longer and fuller than those worn by Alderman Jensen, and so can be nicely creased and look smarter. KATHLEEN ELLIOT.

Northwood. "Chess Is A War Of Nerves" Sir, James Holledge, in "Chess is a War of Nerves" Feb. 13), states that Paul Morphy, the American chess genius of a century ago, "could not pass examinations to qualify as a lawyer." Morphy was called to the Bar at 19 In April, 18S7. He could recite from memory nearly tbe whole Civil Code of Louisiana at this time, and spoke four languages fluently. It is true that Bobby Fischer, the American chess prodigy, is restive and lazy at school, but when he decided to learn Russian so as to read his 40 Russian chess books, he mastered it in a matter of months.

True, also, one cannot prove any correlation between chess and intelligence, but the Australian junior chess championship has usually been won by boys of academic brilliance. Alekhine, probably the most libelled chess champion of all time, never threw his king at any opponent. Holledge says Lasker claimed he lost the world championship to Steinitz because Steinitz sipped lemonade. Lasker did not, however, lose the world championship to Steinitz; he won it from Steinitz. J.

S. PURDY. Greenwich. A New "Henry Sir, Tbe news that' Bernard Miles, the British actor-producer, is planning what might be described as an ultra-modern version of Shakespeare's "Henry is intriguing. All the more so as the new "Henry" will open with a cricket match; in the original it was tennis balls which were brought into play.

It would be interesting to discover if these revivals "with a difference" make as much appeal to the theatre-going public as did those of former days, when the emphasis was on splendid costumes and colourful settings. E. A. LEGG. Woollahra.

VICE-REGAL Their Excellencies the Gover nor-General, the Right Honourable Viscount Dunrossil, and the Viscountess Dunrossil attended morning service at St. Andrew's Church, Canberra, yesterday. His Excellency the Governor, accompanied by Lady Woodward and attended by Captain I. Hudson. A.D.C., opened new club premises of the Punchbowl Dis trict Returned Servicemen and Ex-Servicemen's Social Club on Saturday afternoon.

His Excellency the Governor and Lady Woodward, attended by Captain 1. M. Hudson, A.D.C, were present at divine service at St. Stephen's Church, Macquaric street, yesterday morning. Rail Peace But sion by the feeling of being dragged, willy-nilly, the wake of their great North American neighbour, and on occasion by Britain's -failure to consult Canada in advance of important foreign policy decisions.

All these Mm l.vf The 11 lih Australian Citizen- ship Convention was off to a good surt-or. as the unkind Can- sSVSSr" at i the innocent visitor was inclined. And. tn hm with fhi. morrwu.

view. Some 250 delegates from all over Australia had arrived in Can berra for three days, as the Government's guests, with all transnort and accommodation provided, to discuss the problems of the Great Australian Immigra- tion Program. At the top ot the list of dele- gates and representatives were 40 members of the Federal Parlia- ment both senators and M.Pj. They came from all parties, and, the convention, proceeded, it was apparent that, in immigration, ioubo a auniect inev could all agree about, with minor variations. Did not the Prune Minister bim- self say in his opening speech that the "lion and the lamb were lying down together "7 Yes, indeed he did.

There were representatives of several Commonwealth Govern- ment departments, of the Com- monwealth Immigration Advisory Council, and of the Common- SIR TASMAN HEYES wealth Immigration Planning Council. There were representatives of all the State Governments and various State departments, including the police. South Australia sent its perpetual Premier, Sir Thomas Play-ford, who is also the State Minister for Immigration. On the other hand, tbe New South Wales Government sent Public servants only, no doubt because Cabinet Ministers had more important matters to attend to last week. This seems an appropriate place to mention the absence of Mr Arthur Calwell, who, as Minister for Immigration in the Chifley Government, started the flow of migrants, and held the first Citizenship Convention 10 years ago.

Annual Tribute He is usually at each convention to represent the Opposition, and receive his annual tribute from the current Minister for Immigration the "lion and lamb" touch. This year his attention probably was centred on Mac quarie Street. Sydney. Also present were representatives of all the Churches and of about 50 difcrent organisations-religious, oolilical, social and sporting. The basis ot selection of the organisations was that they should be Commonwealth-wide in scope.

There also were representatives of commerce and industry, of the unions and of the Press and radio. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there were 68 representatives of Good Neighbour Councils in all States including 24 with foreign names. These seemed to be the only New Australians present An efficient team ot officers, led by the head of the Department of Immigration, Sir Tasman Heyes, of whom practically everybody in Canberra speaks with admiration, organned the convention admirably. The cost of it all must have been considerable. No exact figure was available, but 23,000 France Joins The Club OUR "MILKSOP MORALITY New Social Studies Syllabus Sir.

The N.S.W. Education Department has- just issued its new Social Studies syllabus to primary schools. We can now sit back and await a fresh outcrop of anti-social behaviour among the next generation, for it merely perpetuates the time-honoured approach to the problem of morality. Surely it is a glaring anomaly of our civilisation (bat our youth, after spending 12 years in our schools, should not have developed even then the moral fibre, self-discipline and sense of social responsibility with which to make their "social adjustments." mere appears to be a red lignt somewhere in the philosophy that holds that "the child who is not encouraged to play his part in making rules by which be must abide has had no positive training in social living at all-" It certainly sounds convincing, and the children enjoy "actively participating rl lif ale. listen readily to the inspirational stories of famous men, just as they do to the sensational stories of their entertainment world.

But we can readily find in the statistics conccrnina immorality, delin quency, depravity, insanity, sex per. version and suicide sumctent concrete evidence to prove the milksop nature of the morality wun wnica we appear content to equip the next generation. Adulation Of Freedom Any basis for morality will have to be more than social dos and don'ts, sooial play, and the inspirational stories of men, worthy as these are. Our reaction from the discipline of Victorian times appears to have developed into an adulation of freedom give our children enough rope and they'll build a brave, new world. If Australian educational philosophers are sincere in their concern that "our ability to solve scientific problems exceeds our skill in the solution of social problems," then they may concede the neces sity for a new emphasis on self-knowledge and a more solid core of systematised knowledge.

Also, as a teacher I am weary of explaining to children the reasons for the glaring discrepancies between the statement and the application of "the ethical principles underlying, the scriptures. Even if you can set around Hiroshima and Nagasaki, you are still left with the intransigent attitudes of Catholic and Protestant "Christian" Churches, the legalisation of gambling, the animosity of political parties. capital punishment, opportunism in business practice, and the otner awkward questions that the child is likely to spring on you in "Scripture" lessons. After picking one's way through the answer so as not to oRcnd any one of six or more different sects, and after observing the proscription of any expression of belief, one nnds the reek of hypocrisy and the sense of futility almost overpowering. Won't somebody take pity on us poor teachers (and the future of our nation) and give us one united Christian Church plus a political party that pays something more than lip-service to tne Christian ethic? W.

G. PRIEST. NormanhursU Low Pensions And Rising Prices ir VJ Wirl fHrald" SVfi 131 in referrinff In mv slule. ment on trade-union policy to secure lurincr unpiuvcuicuo ui uio basic wage, quotes his personal position as a former Public servant and, in doing so, implies teat i am not aware of tbe problem confronting superannuitants. Unfortunately, the Labour Council ot New South Wales cannot obtain action by Common- uvalth nnri Vint ftrivernirienl In implement a policy of effective price coniroi, una ii is wnaiu mai II 111 I nf retired Public servants will continue to deteriorate.

Approaches have been made to iim.th untc rinwrnnvnl U1C 1 JWU 111 a -ww throuah the Attorney-General and Minister oi justice oy me ruum Service Association to have the unit value of State superannuation pensions increased to XI forth- I 1 1 lk. Ir. wun, ana mc wiiuw ui ui m.w union movement supports the in this regard. n.ino nrir-K it IS clear that mi I most superannuitants who nave retired from State Government i nfiiT manv veari of faithful service now hnd it very difficult 10 mane cuw mra ih. l.i.ii fwninn Ihev are receiving, and consequently Ciovernmeni acuop a tfii order that reliet may be afforded i such persons.

-ri i nnin Oil- ted throughout their whole Public Service career to the State Super- KitnA hlievins that, on aim u-iiv ii retirement, they would receive a pension adequate tor men nwu However, because of the decrease nf th nound in puiviiMwi. and other inflationary trends, they now nnd mat me pcusiuu i completely inducquaic. i. k. ininn nf the trade-union movement the State Superannuation Fund is sufficiently healthy to ii i rl if tn anner- dllUlU 1 1 1 1 Ii lMiM i -w r-- annuitants, and we consider thai the Government snouia inuncui- itcly assist by granting an increase the pension unit.

I KFNNY. M.L.C.. Secretary, Labour Council, N.S.W. Sydney. Ulmcarra Trains Sir, One of the worst examples of the New South Wales railway service is on the lllawarra line from Sydney to Wollongong.

No attempt seems to have been made to co-ordinate this service with the other major lines, it is not possible to reach Sydney early enough on Saturday morning to Connect with the daylight expresses. These include the Sydney Melbourne, Riverina, Central Canberra-Monaro. and the Northern Tablelands. The travelling time is excessive. For the 52 miles the "express" lakes an hour and 37 minutes, while other non-stop trains average about 29.7 m.p.h.

The trip usually uncomfortable, dirty, and always very noisy. ANTHONY KUtWAN. North WoUongong. considerations are perfectly familiar to Australians, especially in relation to Asia, and the temptation to make a declaration of independence like Mr Green's is comprehensible. But in fact such a declaration does not mean very much.

For the fundamental concern in the formulation of a national foreign policy is the national interest, and Canadian and Australian national interests are inextricably bound up in the maintenance of the Anglo-American accord and in the furtherance of broad Western policies. It is perfectly conceivable that Canada or Australia could serve her national ends by taking an independent line on certain specific issues; it is perfectly natural that Canada or Australia should regard a particular issue (such, in Australia's case, as West New Guinea) as one of such direct national concern that British and American opinion must be ignored. But it is ridiculous to suppose that national interests would be anything but seriously endangered if either country failed to take full account of British and American policies in the broad field of international relations. It is equally ridiculous, in the context of the continuing unrelenting policies of the Communist axis, to proclaim that "Canada has only friends and no enemies." So that it need not be supposed that Mr Green's waving of the maple leaf portends Canadian alignment either with the Communist Powers or with the "neutralists." Indeed, it will be surprising if there is any difference at all in Canada's foreign policy, since she has never shown herself either subservient or tongue-tied. Like Australia, she has a right and a to express her opinions in democratic councils; but, like Australia again, her national interest and her national safety depend in the last analysis on the preservation of democratic unity.

the prerequisite of acceptance as a Oreat Power, its explosion might dispose the United States and Britain to aid France's nuclear industrial development. Certainly the unaided construction and the successful detonation of an atomic bomb furnish convincing proof of the strides the French Atomic Energy Com mission has taken since its modest beginnings in 1945. But the the over riding consideration has more than once been bluntly expressed by General de Gaulle "the defence of France must be French." MAs France," he told the Ecole Militaire last November, "can be destroyed from any corner of the world, we also must be able to reach any corner of the world. France must be able to provide herself with an atomic striking force." In other words, France is not satisfied to have her security dependent on nuclear retaliation by another Power which might, in a pinch, be unwilling to risk drawing a nuclear holocaust on itself. France has a long way to go before she can muster an atomic striking force, but she may reasonably hope that America and Britain will now accept the.

inevitable and help her on the path. The Cockroach the public. The Communist' controlled A.S.U. never lacked excuses for holding up In 1951 the Coolana was delayed for a week because the crew demanded percolators instead of coffee-pots. In the same year the Kooralya, about to sail from Newcastle with 4,000 tons of coal, was held up because the men insisted on two pieces of fruit each a day, a choice of two sweets, and a different brand of soap.

The seamen on the River Loddon nearly a year earlier, made sailing conditional on the supply of carpets in cabins. larger bath towels, and stain less-steel wash-basins; A de mand for the replacement of a ships iron-tyred wheel barrow by one with a rubber tyre was the cause of another dispute. It must be hoped that the seamen's reaction to the cock roach on the Iron Spencer is not a sign that a new campaign of industrial mischief is being prepared. A happier interpre tation of the facts Is that the crew of the ship were genuine ly scared. A cockroach ram pant especially one 'of the giant Blaberinae can be positively frightening as it clatters through a galley.

'ri i MR A. R. DOWNER encouraged to speak their parent mother tongue as well. Housing. agreed oa the seed for more bouses.

rrejuilice, ixmo tnougni mat prejudice against migrants was dying. Others did not. rete UBiom. by bodies of foreign workers to be a thoroughly Unions- AU neia ine creation 43 thing. And on.

On tbe personal side, the successes of the conference were Mr and Mrs Masero particularly Mrs Masero, who. in a plea for better understanding, gave an appealing, touching description of the thoughts and fears the over- whelming shyness of an Italian woman suddenly plucked from her village and plunged into a strange country, ana into a new ana terrifvuie way of life. The group meetings took place th. mmoom-shtned. moated building of tbe Academy of Science, it was ine nrst time most of the delegates bad been inside it.

On the social side there was a film evening, and an Australian pageant called "We the People." Perhaps it was jealousy that made some Canberra residents regard the convention with a jaundiced eye. Certainly there must be other departments which would welcome a chance to we a similar method to establish good relations with selected people from the outside world. Worry i2 spoiling for a fight, and it should have it and be bounced. But unlike tbe N.UJtH where power is in the hands of the militants, power in the Government is not. wun air Harold Macmillan on the high seas from Africa.

Mr R. a. Butler was in charce. Mr Butler did not want tn the country back to the Prime Minister saying with a rueful smile: "Im afraid things are in rather a mess." He is hv namr. f-if0? "it so! wilh 1'" Mhr ward.

Heath wtreiary twno "hnfaSrf" "U) JTe strikers, off: But many peocle here are not 7:" BOt after all a settlement at Will it not be invitation to other unions to P1" claims to breaking potnt7 Is a five per cent pay rise "lc sianoaro tor inis vear. castine nf ila.S'i the Strike mav he off hut th.r. The rik ms. a.re arguments ahead about implications of the settlement, r-inn week threat has obscured lrflst every other issue in public nd 'n Private. But thereTias been chapter in tbe long chronicle of the Labour Party civil (wuch looks like covering as '2? period as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle), HroId Wilson, the party's mJ.n provided the ehapter.

Ever since the Left wing nd elements of the centre started lcader Mr Hugh GaitskeU for trying to modernise constitution, there have rumours that Mr Wilson has Decn making silence a political wcPn- For politicfans are not JSi mucn shrewder than Mr Wlout Particular backing from has eIv'd himself to the topmost and held himself there "T'T i 10 him as a man MCn5'on come from 01 expediency, hat Mf to 1010 lo himself until he is sure of bis ground. And now he has all but com- mined himself to putting himself at the head of the GaitskeU critics, For him to go as far as he did last week when addressing parliamentary journalists saying that argument on the coniiiititioa should be dropped is highly significant. It is the sternest warn- ine yet to Mr GaitskeU from a man who could he dangerous to him. and an indication that Mr Wilson might he in the leadership stakes. And he is not a man who backs outsiders.

Cars jamming London's Regent Street two weeks ago. The cause: a 24-hour underground railway strike. Ahead DRITONS are returning their bicycles to garden sheds to rust again, and they are dismantling new dormitories in Office buBdings. The prospect of chaos baa disappeared suddenly with the calling off of the national rail strike at the eleventh hour. This weekend there has been a great public sigh of relief.

But there is, nevertheless, an undercurrent of national uneasiness. Has the country been held to ransom and the ransom p.id? And very large questions remain about Britain's railways; in particular, whether they must be State-subsidised to avoid poverty and discontent. But first, how did it come to pass that Britain faced a atata of emergency, and the gravest indus- trial shut-down for many years? There were many elements in the cauldron which has been smouldering for years and which suoaeniy ana violently came to the boil. There was bitter inter' From OUR LONDON OFFICE union feeling, there was a sense of injustice that the railways had become industry's poorest relation, there was a sudden loss of patience which spurred a latent militancy. Britain's railway system, which the postwar Labour Government nationalised, has been a vexina nroblem for vears Thirtv yTif before ocgicci, ieii ine railways in a sorry state, fcven in 1939 they were only just a going concern.

By 1948 they were running on square wheels, and then year aftei year losing formidable sums. The only hope cf making the railways a commercial undertak- ine seemed to be to modernise them, and four or five vears ago a program to cost 1,500 million began. There was to be electrification, dieselisation. brightening of stations. In time, a very long time, modernisation may do the trick, but for many years the railways will continue to lose money.

Railway- n0 are discontented with their Por and almost everyone concedes that they deserve more, DUl DOln. continual question or wnere tne money is to come irora, AFTER 'the 1935 strike, a Court of inquiry said that the nation having willed a nationalised transport system must will the means of paying for it. With this latest settlement it seems mat tne oovemment is rm: reany halfway towards accepting that back- he set about the railways are not going to pay. 8 tL' effnrt-and that money whether it is The hard cash which the N.U.R. termed a State subsidy or not demanding was pledged to be will have to come from the conun Sidney "To suspend nuclear tests, it is first necessary to begin them," declared France's Minister for War with the logic for which his compatriots are rightly famed.

And consequently, while the three members of the "nuclear club" are meetin? in Geneva to discuss ending nuclear tests (without so far much sign of agreement), France has presented her credentials for membership with the explosion of an atomic bomb in the Sahara Desert. Her obstinate determination to become a nuclear military Power, persisted in despite two condemnatory United Nations resolutions, vigorous protests from various African States and the very lukewarm attitude of her allies, has thus been crowned with initial success. Several factors have contributed to the French resolve. British defence policy, as exemplified in the White Papers of 1957 and 1958, undoubtedly influenced French thinking, and the conviction that Britain has reaped substantial dividends tn power and prestige by forcing her way into the nuclear club is strong in France. There was the feeling, too, that, since the bomb is as much the accolade of success in atomic science as The Crew And Don Marquis' cockroach, Archy, achieved fame by recording the life of Mehitabel.

the alley cat, on a typewriter. It is doubtful, however, whether he deserved it more the anonymous member of his family the ancient Blattidae who, in the words of Mr Justice Foster, "unaided, held up a mighty ship" in Newcastle. A seaman on the B.H.P. ship Iron Spencer saw the insect, the fearful news passed quickly around among his comrades, and after an emergency meeting the crew refused to take the vessel to sea. Even when the Iron Spencer was fumigated, nothing less than an by the Judge was re-Quired to get it out of port.

That was not all. Haunted by the thought of cockroaches, the seamen demanded further examination by the Arbitration Commission -as a result of which the Seamen's Union was rebuked for holding up the ship without justification. The incident recalls the madcap days in the early 1950s when the Australian -teamen were waging a cold "war on the shipowners and SHADOW AND SUBSTANCE "cnequer to seep tnem going, ab" A man can reach the exalted nff himself receiving only stgl2 a week. It has not been surprising that 50,000 men every three months have been leaving the rail. way service.

even so, a lot or sympathy tor hj u. 1 Who had called the tfrike had evaporated last week. There could have been clear negotiation if they had concerted their claim with the other two railway unions, the foot- plate men and tbe clerks, as they had previously agreed. But there is a long history of bitterness between the three, and the N.U.R. alone seemed determined to plunge the nation into chaos, As the days passed, with hopes of settlement rapidly fading, the prospect of a national emergency dominated all thoughts, especially in London, which has the greatest daily influx by train of any city in the world.

There began a fran- tic booking of hotel rooms by the thousand. The big stores and office blocks began preparing dormitories. It became almost im- possible to buy a camp bed. Firms ordered whole fleets of coaches to bring other staffs in; workers hired herds of push- bikes. But all those who were determined to travel somenow were haunted by tbe prospect of the greatest traffic chaos the city had ever known.

Even in 1955. when the rail strike was only par rial, the queues began seven miles out With another two million ears, promised to be what Scot- land Yard predicted: a "major emergency." Ei cnvurni LSEWHERE the country there was grave anxiety. The coalmines would have to shut down, the great motor industry in the Midlands would have to lay off workers Exports would be stifled. Personal discomfort was the immediate impart in prmpect. hut more important was the spectre of disaster.

In the Commons, there was a rumbling on the Conservative back benches that the N.U.R. was.