11 OCTOBER 1969, Page 30

Harold Wilson is my dad

Sir : Your leader (27 September) Wan Wilson is my daddy' quite rightly critic the instructions not to pay supplemen benefits to the Piccadilly hippies, but d not pursue their particular case further, no one apparently has yet come up feasible solutions apart from the clear tates of recent events that the laws relating squatting need drastic revision.

The hippies themselves, however, sugges1 solution in their dearest wish to form a mune. The Government ought to take s immediately to form communes to wh able-bodied `won't works' can be sent shorter or longer periods by the courts ending upon their individual conduct and uirements. Such institutions could aptly called 'work communes' (The term 'labour p* having now certain implications and ertones which would render it undesirable a Western democracy). Of course they uld not be entirely run by the inhabitants, a measure of surveillance would be re- red to to ensure that a strict standard of giene was adhered to; that drug addicts re properly treated and that a full day's rk. paid of course, was not evaded. The West End of London could be cleaned immediately and the resultant first body recruits assigned the honour of construct- the necessary buildings. In due course e could be followed by over-exuberant tball fans, skinheads, mods, rockers and of that ilk, no matter under what fashion- e nomenclature they care to go. People ady in full employment no doubt would reciate a course of a set number of week- s in the 'Work Commune'.

y the way, whatever has happened to Vagrancy Laws?