Notebook
Few people in London were able to read last weekend's Sunday Times because of an 'industrial dispute' among the casual labourers who wrap up and load the bundles of newspapers. Those who did see It were treated to a long and disturbing account of another newspaper's industrial dispute: the chapel (or house branch) of the National Union of Journalists at the Barnsley Chronicle is trying to impose sanctions on four of its former members who have defected to a rival union, the Institute of Journalists. The Barnsley affair Poses a much more serious threat to the well-being of the press than the old demarcation disputes of the manual trade unions.
The ineffably smug Mr Michael Foot, Who is pushing through Parliament a Bill Which allows the NUJ to impose a closed shop, refers to the noble common sense of the journalistic profession and points out that the Guardian supports his Bill. Both he and Mr Harold Wilson professed to be hurt and surprised when the National Executive of the NUJ applauded the bullying tactics of its Barnsley branch.
If Mr Foot had to work again on a newspaper he would learn that the NUJ, or many newspaper chapels at least, already exercise closed shop rules very harmful to Journalism and individual journalists. Few Fleet Street newspapers will now take on beginners who have not worked for a required period in the provinces. This means that university graduates who cannot get jobs on provincial newspapers have to attend one of the training schemes run by the big newspaper chains.
The Observer NUJ chapel succeeded for a long time in keeping out a talented Journalist because he lacked qualifications. The Sunday Times is at this moment engaged in an acrimonious dispute about Whether to give an NUJ card to a young woman researcher.
The chapel of the Sunday Times, as of Mr Foot's beloved Guardian has been looking after the interests of its members by trying to prevent outsiders writing in the newspapers, whether or not they are NUJ Members.
The closed shop mentality must be blamed largely on the newspaper proprietors who, in the good years, increased both the size and pay of their staff in order to do down rivals. In the sixties, for example, the Sunday Times acquired its over-inflated staff of journalists, now terrified of redundancy. It is difficult to decide whether the proprietors, or Mr Foot, the partisan of the NUJ, have done more to damage the British Press. The tragi-comedy of Liberal politics continues. Mr Cyril Smith, who has never given the appearance of being coy, withdraws and advances, not just day by day, but it seems, hour by hour. The challengers to Mr Thorpe multiply. Outside the Liberal extravaganza, however, there are one or two other embarrassments. Many Liberals have, in the recent past, hoped that Mr Thorpe would be succeeded by Mr David Steel. A sensible man, Mr Steel has always wondered if the game of Liberal leadership was worth the candle. He has hesitated between a glorious career in Scottish politics—which would be his if there were a Scottish Assembly—and a life in public service. The Home Secretary, indeed, was convinced last weekend that Mr Steel had decided to accept the job of boss of the new Race Relations Commission; and was mortified when the indecisive Member for Roxburgh finally turned the palm away. Now, it is said, Mr Jenkins has turned in a very different direction. A head of the RRC there must be. For the usual reasons obtaining when these jobs are canvassed he cannot be a member of the Labour Party. A Liberal would be ideal. But, if the best Liberal is not available, why not a Tory? Mr David Lane, the member for Cambridge, is deeply concerned with community relations, and has been a (junior) Home Office Minister. On him the speculative eye of the Home Secretary now rests.
Who will succeed the late Sir Val Duncan as Chairman of Rio Tinto Zinc, the international mining giant ? The Deputy Chairman of the company, Sir Mark Turner, is almost seventy and may not feel like assuming the responsibility. Another senior director, Lord Shackleton, has the right connections—he was leader of the House of Lords in the last Labour administration, and recently led an official mission to the Falkland Islands—but his health is said to preclude him from a full-time position.
The name most often mentioned is that of Lord Carrington, Defence Secretary under Mr Heath, and Energy Secretary at the end of his government. Lord Carrington's undoubted political skill would be of the highest value to RTZ; the Labour Government may feel inclined to cancel the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority's contract for uranium from RTZ's mines in South West Africa, which the United Nations maintain is now illegally controlled by South Africa. The greatest delicacy will be needed to dissuade the Government.
Lord Carrington has also been mentioned as a possible Foreign Secretary in Mrs Thatcher's government, if and when she comes to form it. That post in the future and the RTZ job immediately are not mutually exclusive.
It is a pity that Mr Wilson is so much more concerned about the activities of South African agents in this country than he is about the much larger army of Soviet and other East European spies. Mr Norman Lamont, the Conservative MP for Kingston-upon-Thames, wrote to the Prime Minister asking him what action he proposed to take after the Spectator pointed out last month (14 February) that there are nearly 200 Russian spies operating in Britain. This is only four years after a Conservative government expelled 105 Soviet agents. Mr Wilson did not seem to .take the matter very seriously. His reply to Mr Lamont was of the most routine nature, confining itself to an assurance that 'Her Majesty's Government continues to attach importance to the precautions taken against hostile intelligence activities in this country, and to ensure that the necessary action is taken to counter them.' The Prime Minister goes on : 'Although you say in your letter that the article is well informed and well documented, I note that the Spectator has not adduced any specific evidence to support any of the allegations made in the article.' We can assure Mr Wilson that the evidence exists.
According to the current advertising for the Evening Standard, 'everyone needs standards': an admirable proposition so long as they are not the literary standards adopted by the City column of that newspaper.
'Investors hissed their disapproval of Avon Rubber shares again today. The tyre firm's quote skidded another 11 p lower making a two-day price puncture', the Standard announced recently. And again this week: 'Fisons, the Farmer's Friend fertiliser firm, is ploughing the rights issue furrow'.
In the text of a report it is insulting to the intelligence of the readers by whom the Evening Standard claims to be read. 'The results of sweets giant Barker and Dobson', the Evening Standard wrote, 'will leave a bitter taste in shareholders' mouths'. Not nearly as bitter as the taste left after reading such trash.
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