The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 3

THE MANCHESTER GUARDIAN, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1942 FEDERATION IN EUROPE PARACHUTES FOR BOMBER CREWS MISCELLANY, PRICES OF HUTS This Year, Next Year, Sometime Sir S. Cripps on Problems of the Peace Select Committee's Criticisms Excessive prices for prefabricated huts are believed by the Select Committee on National Expenditure to have been paid by the'Minisirv nf Airrvafr matters which will reduce the rivalries and frictions that have been so fertile a source of war. charge of parachutes at a bomber operational station in the North I see General Smuts says that we may possibly be just about ready to win in 1944." said Alice, with an air of resignation. Wishful -thinking, child, wishful thinking." said the Red Queen severely. I'm surprised at a man in General Smuts's position indulging in such dangerous and unseemly day-dreams.

1944. indeed much more likely to be aj. 2014 My goodness cried Alice. But none of us would ever see the end of it "And who do you think you inquired the Red Queen, coldly, that you should live to see the end of another war to end war aj. 2014 would make it another Hundred Years War, and that would be such a nice round number awfully easy to remember in the history books, you know." I wasn't thinking about the history books," sighed Alice.

I was just hoping that somehow it might be over next year." Well, it was very wrong of you," announced the Red Queen "Very wrong indeed. When you've got a good big war like this, everybody knows that you should just hold on to it. And on and on and on," she added, dreamily. "I do wish that man Smuts hadn't put wrong ideas into people's heads by talking about getting ready to wm in 1944." And what sort of ideas inquired Alice, suddenly, do you suppose be has put into the heads of the Germans? I'm sure I couldn't tell you. child." said the Red Queen testily.

And I'm sure I wouldn't tell you if I could. I wonder what on earth makes you ask awkward questions like that Port Darwin Now that the Japanese are being more or less put in their places one doe not hear so much about Port Darwin, which must make it duller than ever for the troops there. The country is so lonely that it is almost beyond description, but one American soldier on leave put it this way "When you've been there a few weeks you find yourself talking to yourself. After that you find yourself talking to the lizards. After another couple of weeks you find the lizards talking to you.

Then you find yourself listening." The Farthing Problem One reason why tradespeople are agitating for the abolition of the farthing is, strangely enough, that they cannot obtain enough of these coins to'meet their requirements. And this is very odd, too, wl-en it is realised that in 1939 -Wie Mint issued no fewer than 20,000,000 farthings a record for the coin and that in that year the number of farthings in circulation was over 450.000,000. Perhaps the words "in circulation" are too optimistic. It is possible that the farthing is so much despised by the public that when received it is put away for good. In normal times the farthing is only useful once In a blue moon, and no one cares to carry the coins about with him in readiness for such a remote contingency.

The solution of the problem seems to be not the abolition of the farthing but that the public must realise that the times are abnormal and become farthing-conscious. The many millions of farthings which now lie neglected in odd corners will have to be rounded up and used. This will certainly be a cheaper plan for the public than the alternative making every odd farthlnfj charge into a halfpenny. OUR KNOWLEDGE OF BIRDS In a lecture at Manchester University on Saturday, which was one of a series arranged bv the Manchester Mnspnm. Major A.

W. Boyd spoke on modern mciuuus aim organisation ol oira-watching. Till not so long ago it was. he said, the collector and museum man to whom we owed most of our knowledge of birds. Now an interest in birds And hirH-wntn-hintr hal KAsr.ma a nttional pi slime, and what might bt? L-uueu me science ot nem ormtnoiogv had made great strides in the last two or three decides.

quiries which had been carried out at the instanrp nf tVia 1 tute of Field Ornithology at Oxford boiuiiik tiie tiru population in some DartS. thj habits rt hirHc gnl matters connected with bird life, and said an inquiry was at 'present being auc miu una psycnoiogy. an intricate subject of great interest. BOOKS RECEIVED We have received the following books, 3tc: Prom Agricultural Economics Research Institute Oxford- OPEN AIR DAIRY FARMING A Surrey of Tarma i Church Missionary Society OP CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY FOR AFRICA AKD THE tST li JProni th Clarendon Press. Oxford: THE EDrrORTAI, PROBLEM IN SHAKESPEARE.

A Buney of tbe Foundations of the Text By Ore. The Clark Lectures. 1929 12i. 6d. net.

From Dun lop and Drennan. Kilmarnock: 3a EVERYTBISO. By Marta Konrta. From Favil POETS SOW IN THE SERVICES. Collect! awl arranste-1 by A.

J. Lowtt Ko I. Is, 6d7iiet. From La-rrenco and Wtahart: B'il Palmer. 6d WOMEN IN INDCSTRT.

By -foaa Thomson. 6d. PrCOTTnon-aa Nelaon and Sort. AN OF THE BOOOSD ORSAT WAR By J. Horrabm.

Vol rl. January to Julyf 1942. 3s. 6d net. AIR NAVIGATION By Hamilton.

If -A 5s. net. A SHORT HISTORY OP SOQ-r-uAND THE NATION. By Rosaline Ms nop. 3a.

6d. net. From WUhmms and Nora-ate? VIGNETTES OF VICTORY. By Axchd aCacfadreg 3 6d. net PROM THE ASHEa PoS! AsHIey Sampson.

3. 6d, net. Production, The committee, in a report Issued yesterday, deals with allegations of unreasonable delay and wasteful expenditure in the erection of hostels and houses. The report mentions payments totalling 20,000 made by manufacturers to the designer of the prefabricated hut selected by the Ministry for use in some of their housing estates, and states that whether this was incurred in respect of a royalty or in respect of services it was "quite out of proportion to the value received." The payments had come to an end since the committee began its investigation. While it had not received complete details of the costs it believed the price which the Ministry had been paying for the huts was "excessive and considered that the matter should be further reviewed.

At the time that the bulk of the payments were made the patent had apparently not been established, and the question arises whether these payments at ths rate of 20 guineas each upon 850 huts and ten guineas each on a further 350 huts were properly made." The committee found that the evidence is conflicting and the committee cannot accept the Ministry's statement that the arrangements which were made have resulted in a saving of expenditure." Altered Plans Two estates yisited during building involved about 250,000. Substantial delay occurred and no doubt added to the cost of building the estate visited in the North of England. "The explanation given was that it was due largely to the alterations in plans involved in the Ministry's decision to provide hostels for single women instead of married quarters a decision ofi policy which depended on an alteration in the character of the supply of labour available for the factories. Bad weather and the shortage of suitable labour were additional factors in prolonging the work." Notwithstanding the long delay the accommodation was completed before the factory had begun to employ the women who were to occupy the hostel a state of affairs which the committee had been informed was by no means unusual. On the general subject of contracts for building hostels and housing undertaken.

by the Ministry of Aircraft Production, the committee states In some cases no formal contracts were entered into at all. In others work started and became far advanced before the proper agreements were completed." COTTON YARN PRICES Firm Fined 710 Fines totalling 710, with twenty-five guineas costs, were imposed at Manchester City Police Court yesterday on Messrs. Eckersleys. Limited, cotton spinners, Wigan, with registered offices at Arkw right House. Manchester, who pleaded guilty on five summonses alleging breaches of the orders controlling the prices ot cotion yarn.

Mr. SomervlUe Jones. 'proaecutEntf, aald that in October. 1941. there wt! a marked etaortage ol EarptUn cotton, and the Cotton Control then am-gested to that they ahould blend Eavptlan sarn with other types of yarn hlch were In better aukuiT zcciaieja compueci wiui in request and raiwd Brazilian with Egyptian cotton, but.

lnitead or reducing their price because ot the mixture ol in interior type ot cotton, they charged the lame It they had used 100 per cent Egyptian cotton The summonses were In one Instance for selling and In four other cases contracting to soil, and the excess charge i 495. The firms to whom deliveries were to be madt were Barr. Stlrritt. and Glasgow. A.

and Varna. Limited, Manchester, and Dawson Manufacturing Company. Oldham Mr. J. D.

Hea'y. for the defence, laid thlt Eckersleyi was a Hrm of good standing, doing a larae business, of whlrh the yarn represented by the summonses was only an Insignificant part. Since the Cotton Control orders came Into operation the firm had delivered 44.000.0001b ot yarn. They were, no doubt, under obligation to give their customers the yam they ordered, but hid been requested by the Government to substitute other cotton The contracts had already been entered Into at that time There was no Intentional dishonest attempt to get a few pounds extra profit. The managing director, without consulting his co-directors, had agreed to the prices charged.

In the belief that be was actlna correctly. The Stipendiary Magistrate. Mr. J. We'leiley Orr.

said he quite believed soma misunderstanding had existed, but Eckersleys ought to have exercised more care to observe tbe ordeTS In Brief The Minister of Food has made an order requiring all manufacturers and packers of soft drinks to be licensed, irrespective of the size of their output, as from December 7. Salford Watch Committee yesterday granted permission to all the city cinemas and the Salford Hippodrome theatre to open on Christmas Day from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. with approved programmes Forty-one people were injured yesterday in a collision between a passenger train and a goods train near Miramas, in Southern France, says the Vichy News Agency. In Italy 18 people were killed and 50 injured when a train was derailed during the night at Calabre, on the line between Paola and Cosenza, states the Italian News Agency.

The Vichy News Agency, quoted by Reuter, yesterday said The German authorities at Lyons have announced that for technical reasons the German mail service will be unable to accept parcels for prisoners of war from November 20 until the evening of December 12." This presumably refers to French prisoners of war. Sir Stafford Cripps, Lord Privy Seal, in a broadcast to the Forum of the "New York Herald-Tribune" last night, said We are. I am sure, each one of us determined that out of this war must come-a saner, safer, and happier world, not in words merely, but in actual fact. We must not be content with picturing a Utopia we must create a better world. Freedom is a wide word.

As we have found in our own national life, the liberty of each must be restrained to some extent for the greater liberty of all. The liberty of the gangster or the crook must be sharply curtailed if the peaceful citizen is to enjoy his freedom. In our international life, by insisting upon our own absolute and unrestrained national freedom we gave the Nazis and their Axis allies a freedom to become boursSSrS against their innocent neigh- lwar we -must devise a better method by which the freedom of Preserved against brutal attack, not after the attack has oeen made through the iong and painful trials of war, but by preventive means before ever war can be launched. We must be prepared to work together as united nations not merely in the stresses of war-time but in those periods of peace which in the past have incu- disease of war, first showing itself in the symptons of rivalry and competition. WORLD POLICING BY AIR POWER "The power of the air.

which daily shows itself in growing strength, provides an opportunity which has never before existed for the control of world order. An international air force-could reach the most remote corners of the world and could strike at any who sought to break the peace for their own advantage. International society is not, however, static. It moves ever forward to new developments. We must then have the means to assure a safe of orderly change if we are to maintain the peace and order.

But first we must lay a sound foundation for the society of nations, or as sound as the tempers and the hatreds engendered by the war will permit. We need a peace of reason and of lasting value, and not a hot-tempered settlement of revenge. Unless this time we can build coolly, safely, and soundly we shall court an even greater disaster for our children in their generation. It is better to do a little thoroughly and with success than to fail ambitiously. To set out to build a world-wide economic federation of all the nations of the world is indeed a glorious objective, provided that we realise that it is unattainable now and will probably remain so perhaps for gensralions This is no reason why we should not aim towards some such distant goal, so that each practical which we take to-day may be right in its direction.

Europe has, alas been the breeding-place of wars, and so it is the pacification of Europe that we want to accomplish. We do not wish to destroy that diversity of character and of race which has so- incalculably enriched the culture of the world throughout the centuries, yet we must build up a community of interest in economic and political Afancftester Stage and Screen THE OPERA HOUSE "We Are The People" Manchester has a special interest in We Are The People," performed at the Opera House this week. The author, Mr. Burton Cooper, is a local man who has lately joined the Navy. His first play was produced bv the Manchester Green Room and it will be obvious where he gained the experiences which are the basis of this one.

Also, in the cast is Mr. Milton Rosmer, whose work last night was a constant reminder of his achievements at the old Gaiety Theatre. We Are The People shows with telling directness the reactions of the average man and woman to the war and constant elr raids. Mr. Cooper spares us little, but be allows considerable humour.

For this the redoubtable Mrs. Taddy is mainly responsible. She is a definite and richly comic creation, and the audience's evident relief at her visits was understandable. Another amusing character is the chit, Dolly, to whom everything is an excuse for man-hunting. But the play remains, of necessity, a sombre one.

and the unaffected heroism of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon towards the end is inexpressibly moving. If the piece has no definite plot it has also no definite message except the unending one of courage. But packed in the fabric Uf the work are many messages, some of them startling.

For the remarkable feature of this play is not its realism, but the frankness with which the characters express themselves. It is an encouraging experience to hear all facets of the war discussed so fearlessly it Is doubtful if such freedom would have been allowed on the stage during the last war The piece can perhaps best be summed up by saying that if instead of beinc the first of its kind it was the only one future historians could obtain accurate knowledge of the thoughts, fears, and questionings to be found in thousands of little homes during the ravages of the latest horror mankind has inflicted on the world The acting was in tone with the play, three of the company being outstanding. Miss Cathleen Nesbitt and Mr. Milton Jtosmer brought to the parts of Mr. and Mrs.

Gordon a restrained, expressive force which made this lovable couple quietly dominate each crisis and gave us some memorable and exquisite moments. Miss Joan Sanderson as Mrs. Taddy made a triumphant progress through the gathering tension: indeed, her work was so effective that once or twice there was some danger of her stealing the play. The rest of the cast, including Miss Victoria Hopper as Liz and Mr. Alan Haines as Ted, contributed studies of varying degrees of skill and sensitiveness and still more varying degrees of North Country accent F.

PALACE THEATRE Afrique, at the Palace Theatre, still surprises by the wide range of his impersonations. One would rank, him et the head at his type of stage work. Fidelity to the original is not the only merit of his mimicry, for he contrives somehow to infuse it with an entertaining quality of his own. Scott and Whaley may be considered as classic exponents of the "cross-talk" act Wiev have so long been firmly tased upon popular favour that much is expected of them. They do not disappoint Sid Field strengthens the comic note of the show with artfully contrived nonsense.

Milton Woodward, a conjurer who works at high pressure, resents one of the most charming big-set Illusions to be seen. Finally V. C. Martyn shows that, even yet an original juggler can evolve new- quips in the manipulation ol tennis balls. F.

A. THE WAY OF FEDERATION "The Power btouds. with bfi client States, have shown themselves a danger to the safety and happiness of their peoples. You in the United States of America showed the way of federation that way can help to ease the difficulties some of the areas of Europe. Your Secretary of State can speak internationally for the whole of j-our States, as Mr.

Molotov speaks for all the many Soviet Republics. How much better if fewer and stronger voices could speak Europe. Already there are signs that this mav rnm tri ac- i guuu CIXIU encouraging signs of the realistic way in aumu 01 ine unuea are looking to the future. 'The economic difficulties after the war will indeed be great that we know only too well from the sequel of the last war. The burden has been somewhat eased by the truly brilliant invention of the two-way lease-lend system.

But in spite 01 this, it will require all the combined ingenuity of the statesmen of the United Nations to find a way out of the vfu finance into methods which will be suited tp the new conditions. NEW METHODS FOR ECONOMIC PROBLEMS "All these problems demand a new outlook for their solution. After the last war we were met by similar lesser aimcumes the ways we then tried failed to solve even those smaller problems. We must now try methods that are different and that will he mnrp effective. Our success in discovering the right methods will be determined largely search wmch we make the- If we seek a way through the perplexities with our minds centred upon our own material interests I do not believe that we can succeed.

We must be guided in our search by some higher inspiration, by some more compelling force than mere selfish gain. "To win the victory we are prepared and ready for every self-sacrifice, personal and national, and yet the victory be barren indeed if we cannot create a better, happier, and safer world thereafter. Let us, then, approach those problems of the peace in the same inspired spirit as we approach the problems of war. What we will now do to help each and all of our allies to win the war let us do to help the United Nations to win the peace. Many of us Lelieve in some hieher power, greater than any human force, whethsr we be Christians, Jews, Moslems, Hindus, or of other creeds.

With that higher power we associate better and finer standards than our own, standards which we know to be right and just but which only too often we have neglected in our human relation ships. We are by these beliefs bound into a fellowship which goes far beyond all national boundaries, and it is the strength of that spiritual fellowship of high endeavour that can and will give us the strength to override the evil and to establish a better, happier, and fairer society, both within our own countries and throughout the whole world, to the lasting benefit of all people." THE HIPPODROME There are thirteen good reasons why the Manchester Hippodrome merits a visit this week. Twelve of them are represented by the young ladies of the chorus in their many bright and the thirteenth is Miss Patricia Stainer, a young dancer and singer with boundless vivacity and a stage technique that would not shame any West End revue. She and the dozen chorus girls are responsible for the buoyancy of Ladies Without," and in their spectacular scenes they hold the attention and justifiably draw the applause. The stars of the show, Dave and Joe O'Gorman, interrupt with levity of a mixed nature.

One laughed at their balloon dance, but the night is entirely the ladies'. One suggestion could not the scenery and dresses of the last act, a tribute to the United States, be developed to take better advantage of both g. PICITRE THEATRES Gaumont. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello have yet to find their feet as film comedians. When their successful variety turn was first introduced into a second-rate musical story-film it promised well as the ideal comic relief for musical story-films in the Fra Diavolo class.

Instead they became the overworked stars of a series of comedies with second-rate song-and-dance interludes, of which' "Pardon My Sarong is a typical example. Like the rest, it has amusing sequences in that peculiar vein of lunacy which is the original Abbott-Costello trade-mark, but like the rest it pads them out with dreary passages of knockabout farce. Once again the pernicious star system is frustrating the talents it purports to magnify. S. Odcon.

Rings on Her Fingers deals with the adventures of a shopgirl (Gene Tierney) caught up into complicity with a pair of society swindlers. She falls in love with a victim (Henry Fonda), whose "dumbness." superficially at any rate, would qualify him for lifelong victimisation bv an irredeemable harpy. For such a part Miss Tierney is clearly unfitted, except in a sophisticated way that would be out of key with the mildly farcical note struck by Mamoulian's direction. Laughs are plentiful, but camera-work often flatters the scenario. Law-breakers also appear in "A Gentleman at Heart." with slick work by Cesar Romero, but again the morals of art-faking can be glossed over in the cause of humour without ill-effects.

T. H. E. B. Tatter.

The news reels available at present do not show more of the North African campaign than a landing on a beach near 'Oran, which was. in fact, carried out as peacefully as on manoeuvres. But possibly little is lost on that account, for the cameraman is able to demonstrate how efficiently the operation was organised, how smoothly it was controlled by a beaehmaster (a naval officer complete with microphone), and how willingly local Arabs helped to unload the supplies. Most impressive of all are the preliminary shots of the great convoy of ships on its way across. A fascinating film about naval motor-launches trim craft with a resolute air about them and a pretty turn of speed shows them being built, being put through their paces on trial, and fighting 'planes and U-boats.

Best of the off war" films is Gay Parisian," by the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo it is full of sparkle and its colours are rich and often beautiful. J. E. D. P.

CATHEDRAL SERVICES at 3 5a Communion: Sandajs at 9 ajn. and after atatlns: Holy Dajs and Fridays at 11 Baptlami alter doc no tier Tuesday. Mattel iitd at 11 a-m. Bresson saM at 3 50 pjn. Serrlca ol Intercession, i 25 ul 50 pja.

Af leading aircraftwoman in 3d. A TON ON COAL? For Miners' Pensions A proposal that 3d. a ton be put on the price of coal for the benefit of miners adversely affected by the war-time trans fer of labour now taking place in the coalfields, and that the money so raised should serve as the beginning of a pension scheme for miners, was approved by the Council of the Yorkshire Mine-workers' Association at Barnsley yesterday. At the close of the council meeting, Mr. J.

A. Hail, piesident, who is a member of the Miners' Federation National Executive, said that this transfer of labour was resulting in coalmines being closed down. These pits were not being closed because they are uneconomic but because the same number employed at them could produce more coal elsewhere The transfer of labour should give us better mines in the future because colliery companies would be compelled to keep their mines in good condition in order to keep up their output, but there were complaints about the method of transferring. The council had considered ths cases of men who were adversely aftected by the closures, and the delegates had accepted his report on the suggestions he had put before the Ministry of Fuel, the joint consultative committee, and the Miners' Federation of Great Britain for the beginning of the fund proposed. It should be the means of providing support for those miners who.

when the war is over, would be forced into unemployment by old age. GENOA RAIDS Officer's Third Award Acting Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson, who already holds the D.F.C. and bar, has been awarded the D.S.O. for his skill and courage in recent daylight raids on Le Creusot and Milan and in one of the Genoa attacks. At Le Creusot he went down to 500 feet to bomb and machine-gun the transformer station, says the Air Ministry citation to-day.

Wing Commander Gibson, who also took part in the daylight raids on Danzig and Gdynia, was born in 1918 at Simla. India, and was educated at Folkestone and Oxford. The list contains two S.O.s, two bars to the D.F.C, seven D.F.C.s, and six D.F.M.S all for crews of aircraft which took part in the Le Creusot or Italian raids D.S O. Actr. Wlnr Cdr.

C. P. Gibson, F.C Ho. 106 Squadron Aetr- Win Cdr. K.

P. Smslra. No 44 Squadron BB TO DJ.C. Actr. A.

Deterlll. FJH D.F.C. Wl Cdr J. M. Southwell.

No 9 Squadron. Flt. s. crtta, R.A F.V No 49 Squadron. O.

R. Curtis. R.A PVR, No 44 Squadron. PO T. G.

Hackney. Ra.FVR.Ko 44 Squadron. PO. J. A.

W. HoBatt. R.A.F No. 9 Squadron. BAR TO F.C PO.

M. E. Walsh, c. RAF.VR. No 57 Squadron C.

PO. F. G. Healry, JI VJS No. 106 Squadron PO J.

R. Pcnolnrton. VJt No. 106 Squadron. D.F M.

Can'R. 84061 Sit. l. Crosier. R.CA.F.

No U6 Squadron 771385 Sit. W. J. Rose, No 207 Squadron. -(371000 Sit.

B. S. Hilton. 207 Squadron. Am.

40B14S Sit. J. B. Lc-Tell, No. 207 Squadron.

13S970 Sat. A. 1. Prrrtn. No 207 Squadron.

Can'R. 1003SS FSft. IV. W. Peck.

RC.1.P No 207 Squadron LEEDS WOMAN LORD AIAYOR Leeds City Council will be specially convened to-morrow to elect the first woman Lord Mayor the city has had." The nomination of the new Lord Mayor, Miss Jessie Beatrice Kitson, was made by the Liberals in the council after the sudden death of Councillor Arthur Clarke a few minutes after his election as Lord Mayor. The Liberal group felt that in the circumstances they should choose a non-party successor from outside the council, and in Miss Kitson they found an independent with a distinguished record of public service. Miss Kitson. who is sixty-six. is a well-known social worker, the niece of the first Lord Mayor of Leeds (Sir James Kitson.

the granddaughter of a former Mayor of Leeds (Mr. James Kitson). and the cousin oi a former Lord Mayor (Mr. F. J.

Kitson). THE FOOD OUTLOOK Lord Woolton, the Minister of Food, speaking at Reading yesterday, said the standard of feeding for the poorer people of the country was better to-day uian it naa ceen ior a long time, and claimed that the system under which the Ministry was working insured quality and equity for all. After pointing- out that the great armada which had been able to land troops and munitions in North Africa had previously been carrying food. Lord Woolton said there were some people who still did not believe that Hitler intended to starve us out. but Hitler himself believed he would do so.

The food situation was not going to be easy in the future, but the Ministry, he said, were taking care of it. CLOTHING COUPON TRAFFIC Expressing his determination to stop trafficking in clothing coupons, the Salford Stipendiary Magistrate (Mr. F. Bancroft Turner) yesterday sentenced Mary Cooney (19), single, of Margaret Street, Salford, to 14 days' imprisonment for being in possession of 35 coupons issued to another person. Cooney said that she bought them for 12s.

6d. from a man she did not know, who offered them to her in a cafe. of England. CONTRACTS CASE VERDICTS Sentences Postponed After a retirement of more than two hours and a half the jury, in the Liverpool contracts case last night, found Charles Roland Clare (49), a member of Liverpool City Council and a director of F. H.

Porter, guilty on 14 counts out of 15. and John Henry William Mills (52), of Thornton Heath, senior inspecting officer under the Ministry of War Transport, guilty of nine counts out of 14. Miss Maud Tester (41), secretary of the company, had earlier pleaded guilty to certain charges and not guilty to others, and her plea was accepted by the prosecution. JUDGE AND LATE DIRECTOR Mr. Justice Oliver postponed sentence, saying that there was another indictment affecting the two men and others.

During his summing up yesterday the Judge told the jury that they had to consider whether there was a gigantic swindle with Mr. F. W. Porter (who committed suicide earlier in the year) at the back of it. "Porter, no doubt," he said, was as wicked a man as ever lived in Liverpool and a very rich man Clare and Mills were found not guilty of conspiracy to defraud the Admiralty, and Mills not guilty of conspiracy to defraud Grayson, Rollo, and Clover Docks, Ltd and not guilty on three counts alleging that he furnished documents which were false in a material particular with intent to deceive.

Both were found guilty of conspiring to defraud the Ministry of War Transport. ORDERS FOR PAYMENT Clare was also found guilty of procuring the delivery of cheques totalling in value 145,661, of procuring the delivery of orders for payment totalling 26,727, and of falsifying a tally book belonging to F. H. Porter, Ltd. Mills was found guilty on one count of conspiring to steal timber and on another of stealing timber from the Ministry of War Transport.

He was also found guilty on six counts of procuring the delivery of orders for payment totalling 26,727. Mr. H. I. Nelson, barrister, asked permission to make a statement on behalf of Mr.

and Mis. Arnold Barkby, the son-in-law and daughter of the late Mr. F. W. Porter The Judge said there was no suggestion at all that they were in any way involved.

In fact, he was impressed with Mr. Barkby when he gave evidence as a man of the highest integrity. Mr. Barkby had his own remedy to deal with anything in the way of rumours. DAVID LEWIS COLONY All the available accommodation at the David Lewis Manchester Epileptic Colony, Warford, near Alderley Edge, is now taken by the 500 patients, and for the first time in its history the colony cannot immediately admit those people, children as well as who were on its waiting-list.

This was stated at the annual meeting of the colony's governors and subscribers in Manchester yesterday, when Sir Arthur A. Haworth, presiding as chairman of the committee of management, emphasised the importance of early treatment and colony life for sufferers from epilepsy and repudiated any suggestion that entering a colony meant being ostracised." The average number of colonists throughout the year was 478, added Sir Arthur, and the farms, to which many colonists had devoted much time, had supplied farm and dairy produce to the value of 3,398. Dr. Richard Handley. director, reported that the war-time transport difficulties had been solved by arranging for special treatment of colonists at the Altrincham and Alderley Edge hospitals instead of at the Manchester hospitals, to which they were accustomed to go in previous years.

PETROL WITHOUT COUPONS Lionel Stelfox, of Broadoaks Road, Flixton Peter Bevin, Riverton Road, East Didsbury and Norman Chadwick, Moorside Road, Flixton, were each fined 5 at Manchester County Police Court yesterday for acquirine petrol without surrendering coupons. Mr. O. Hockin. prosecuting for the Ministry of Fuel, said that defendants obtained the petrol from a boy without surrendering coupons.

The boy, who had been fined at a juvenile court last week, was at the time in charge of an pump at a garage in the Urmston district which was reserved for the Urmston Council, and it was only when a check was made that the deficiency was discovered. Bevin and Chadwick had nothing to say in answer to the charge now. Stelfox, casualty services superintendent to the Urmston Council, stated that iie received a petrol allowance from the council for approved journeys, but was not allowed petrol to travel from his home to the council headquarters. He obtained the petrol from the boy to take on bis last holiday before his car was taken off the road at the end of June. As the result of an explosion at a filling factory in the North-west of England on Sunday Frederick John Pratt was killed.

There were no other casunttiPfl. Manchester Copyright. STUDENTS HOSPITALS Alternatives to Rag Reference to, the future of the Manchester University Students' "Rag," which is not to be held next year, was made yesterday at the annual meeting of the Council of the University Settlement, following the statement that the sum of 260 voted to the Settlement last year would not be forthcoming next. Mr. T.

Y. Martin, president of the Men's Union, said that a small committee to devise methods ot obtaining money would be set up, as it was realised the needs of the hospitals and also of the Settlement were as great as ever There were other plans, probably connected with the opening of an office to which-people could send subscriptions, as many had done in the past. The hope that neither the hos- puais nor the Settlement would lose depended on how much the citizens approved the students' decision. The Vice-Chancellor (Sir John Stop- presiding, commended that deci sion as a wise one in the present circumstances." Commenting on the annual report, he said it was significant that each of the war-time reports was successively better than its predecessor. It would have been easy in 1939, in view of all the difficulties, to have marned time, bin the council faced the situation realistically and courageously, feeling that many of the agencies of the Settlement would be the more urgently required during the war.

The war had brought not only difficul ties out opportunities for experiment and new development. He referred to the flourishing state of the new centre at Gorton, whose future he felt was now assured. Referring to the training of students in social work, he said he was glad thev were being taken from an increasingly wide area and not only from Manchester University. The report, the financial part of which showed a deficit of 241 on the Gorton centre, was adopted. Lady Mabel Smith addressed the meeting.

DIRECTOR'S PERJURY Eighteen Months' Sentence A company director, Leslie Cooper (41), of Clynnog House. Llanfairfechan, North Wales, was sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment at Liverpool Assizes yesterday for what Mr. Justice Oliver described as a wicked case of perjury. It was alleged that Cooper made a statement to the police concerning two men one his co-director who were accused of conspiring to enable one of them to evade military service. When the men appeared at the last Liverpool Assizes the Judge said Cooper completely ratted on his statement in the witness-box, alleging that the police had terrorised him into making the statement Mr.

A. McFarland. for Cooper, who pleaded guilty, said the accused apologised for his attack on the police There is no more common kind of attack made on the police than to say they have used third degree," said the Judge. CHINA'S ORDEAL Speaking at a United Aid for China Fund meeting in Leeds last night, Mr. Harold Macmillan, Parliamentary Under Secretary for the Colonies, referred to the vastness of the struggle in which China had been engaged during the past five years, and said that the success of our counter-offensive had brought nearer the time when she could take the initiative.

This war must be fought as a whole. The events in one great field would have their reactions upon the other fields in turn. The estimated casualties among the Chinese, in killed alone, amount to 10,000,000. Added to the maiming and killing of Chinese citizens there was the additional horror of the launching of a purposeful evil in the attempt to spread the use of opium and other drugs to undermine the Chinese, to turn them into a nation of narcotic addicts the most devilish means ever used for suppression of another nation in history. Yet in the face of Japan's aggression the Chinese slogan still remains Resistance and reconstruction." MR.

STEPHEN HOLMES Mr. Stephen Holmes, a Conservative member for Collegiate Church Ward of Manchester City Council since 1934. and for some years before that an active member of the Board of Guardians, died yesterday at his home, jn Blackley. aged 70 years. Mr.

Holmes was a magistrate for the city, and sat on the licensing bench. He was a native of Middlesbrough, and came to Manchester some forty years ago and founded the firm of Stephen Holmes, Ltd. haulage contractors, whose business is closely associated with. Smith-field Market. AMERICAN WAR CASUALTIES War casualties in the United States armed forces so far total 48356, not including the North African campaign.

The total for the Army is 32,429, comprising 1,069 killed. 1331 wounded, 161 taken prisoner, and 29.668 missing, mostly in the Philippines. The Navy has lost 16,527 men, comprising 4,625 killed. 1,904 wounded, and 9398 missing. Many of those missing are presumed to be prisoners of war.

CROSSWORD No. 274 i 3 i iia-4 i6 i i7 1 i 8 1 ili Hi lili ilii id lg iJ.lPTTTl-rl-TT' 1 i IP Wgf mi1 I iM i ippiil; MTU IIIIH, IB, iSTHs i i i Hps firj i i i i I Figg i i i i i i iiil 1 1 ii in' ip! ijiil in- iif I I i ACROSS 1. Dude often seen at sea (5). 4. He is fond of field diversions 9).

9. Like a boy In India (5). 11. The way to take things one at a time (9). 1Z "In maiden meditation free" (Shakespeare) 13.

If you want this case try the embassy l. 14. Miss Flinders (5). 16. Daughter of tragic king (7).

17. Turn the mace to offensive use (7). 19. This is death on flies (7). 20.

Use it in prescribing (7). 22. Indian coin (5). 23. Infinite (7).

25. Great in Russian history (5) 27. How can you answer such letters? 9. 28. Of service in matchless con ditions 5.

29. Sweet lavender was a London one (6. 3). 30. Animal mostly oriental (5).

DOWN The proverb condemns useless expenditure (5. 3, 4. 3). 3. Wander Idly about (4).

5. 30 may go after it (4). 6. Dost repent (5). 7.

He is no roamer abroad (4-2-4). 8. Proverbially this is not gold (3, 4, 8). 10. Does he get a bigger commission 1L Use it in a row (5).

14. Ten creep in (anag.) (10). 15. Jdost unpleasant insects (4). ia A tJavthinc above all else (4).

20. Noxious vapours (S). 21. Put in position afresh (5). 24.

The sluggard's example (5). 25. Sound of animal contentment 26. Not a nice man tnougn good in tne garden (4). MM li.

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