Colour and the Election Norman Tiptall The Church's Wrong Foundation
Rev, Barry Till
Upholding the Establishment David Tribe. Quentin de la Bedoyere, The Countess of Lauderdale
Underground Movements R. M. Robbins The Outsiders Miss E. Sella,.
Illegal Arrests Makolin Pike Dylan Thomas Bryn Griffiths All Good Fun G. M. Lee, George Reichardt Few Cheers for the AA R. D. Hall Buying a Razor Rev. Austin Lee
COLOUR AND THE ELECTION
SIR,—Mr. David Watt has apparently paid a quick visit to Birmingham and on the strength of it is Prepared to pontificate on all the city's problems, Alderman Griffiths and Councillor Collett will doubtless look after themselves. As for me, Mr. Watt's statement that a hysterical atmosphere was being whipped up in Birmingham to give respecta- bility to my views, is untrue. These views are quite respectable. They are neither avant-garde nor reac- tionary, but have been arrived at after many years' Work on the city's problems. They will continue to be expressed irrespective of who supports or who
oPposes them. •
Mr. Watt admits that ten years ago Birmingham had only 4,000 coloured immigrants and now has 80,000. In addition there are 70,000 whites from Southern Ireland. One hundred and fifty thousand added to the previous shortage of 40,000 houses has turned hundreds of decent dwellings into slums; 4,000, each built for one family, are now housing six, let in single rooms at .£2 10s, a room, upward. It is not a case of banning the coloured races, but of banning all immigrants until we are in a position to give them decent accommodation.
Mr. Watt says their women breed like rabbits and their kids can't speak English. That is hardly an encouragement to welcome more. Mr. Watt prolrably knows that Canada, forty times as large as Britain, has only eighteen millions population; and Australia. thirty times as large, has only eleven millions. Why then should Britain—a little island already over- crowded by fifty-two millions—and particularly Birmingham—be asked to take more when there is abundant room in the Commonwealth?
His criticism of Birmingham Labour Council building just over 2,000 houses a year may be legitimate, but the real villains who allosived this stoPid and unwarranted invasion are the Ministers and Staff of the Home Office, run by the Conserva- tive Government. Is there anything wrong in Birmingham and Smethwick seeking to prevent the situation in their area becoming even worse? Birmingham people have built Birmingham at their own expense. Why allow strangers to come in and exploit services to which they have contributed nothing? If Mr. Watt came and lived in our recently nlade slum districts, he would probably change his Opinions. This is a matter for people who pay the bills and face the local conditions to settle, not for
casual visitors from London, who know little about it.
NORMAN TIPTAFT
3 Worley Croft, Watley, Birmingham 32 iDavid Watt writes : 'Common sense does not prevent Mr. Tiptaft advancing the theory that the !min who "pays the bills" is necessarily the best judge 12.1 a given situation. Honesty does not prevent him misquoting me. So I doubt if an appeal to either virtue will induce him to face the real. issue in Birmingham. This is not whether immigration should or should not be controlled—both parties now agree it should be. Mr. Tiptaft must tell us whether he believes that those coloured immigrants who arc already here should be entitled, as British citizens if not as human beings, to as much tolerance, social service, and housing as the indigenous inhabitants of Birmingham.'—Editor, Spectator.]
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