Skinflint's City Diary
Most plain-thinking men must agree that the Conservative Government has been well intentioned but lacking in wisdom and that we have not been delivered the bill of goods we were promised in 1970. Apart from the grand f folly of entry into Europe, there has been a myriad of individual errors particularly in the area of budgetry policy that has been in precisely the wrong direction. A corporate tax structure to encourage profit retention instead of maximum distribution is an example. So is the absence of an excess profits tax to mop up some of the effects of the huge but random results of inflation. Taking powers to guide institutional investment so as to lower property values and raise the price of giltedged is yet another failure. As is disregarding the possibility of two-tier interest rates — one for domestic lenders and another for those based overseas investing through authorised depositories. And the list is endless.
Anyone with ambitions to be able to handle himself financially must, nevertheless, hope that a Conservative government is returned, in expectation that they are somehow brought to see the light. Mr Heath is considered to be remote and inflexible and there are many who think that the Party needs a new leader. I do not necessarily subscribe to this view, since there is no one else evident with better credentials. In forming a new Conservative government Mr Heath might consider a root-and branch sacking of the many inadequate young men on his personal staff, few of whom have had an original idea in their lives. He does not want to replace them with businessmen — we have seen enough of Mr Campbell Adamson and Mr Peter Parker to last us for a while — but the introduction of a little mellow wisdom unconnected with the second-rate at Central Office or journalism would do more for Mr Heath's reputation than a dramatic reshuffle of his front bench.
Now that the election is on us amount of government money was giver away under terms written by the recipient.
This first hurdle, patenting, successfully over, the waiting game recommenced, this time for the £40,000 to develop the invention. This new delay has now stretched into six months, and no meaningful communication between myself and the NRDC has occurred. However, the NRDC are careful to assure all inquirers that they are very keen on the CAM invention and anxious to support it.
Next week Ivor Catt issues a direct challenge to the DTI.
we shall, I suppose, have the unsavoury spectacle of each party behaving like the gilded youth who has been to the devil all night and is now up for 6 o'clock Mass in the morning.
Birthrate
Perhaps because, as a father, I have a quiverful of girls, my mind returns to the problems of the declining birthrate.
To maintain population stability, it is necessary for fertile couples to produce not less than four children — so, recently, I read somewhere. You do not have to reply on statistical facts to know, as I have good reason to, that there are more female than male births occurring in this country. And no doubt this fact, together with a rising divorce rate (a high divorce rate has a beneficial effect of raising the birthrate) wiU in two generations or so raise the overall British rate. In addition the selection of the sex of the child before birth will result, so we're told, in the Eastern races producing a potentially threatening male imbalance. So it may well be. But if the West by providence (physiological, nutritional or social grants) produces a slight female imbalance, the balance of the birthrate of the West and the East should begin to be redressed. There is a marvellous story of the family of Lord Lovat, the Frasers. At the battle of Loch Lochie in 1544, Lord Lovat, his four brothers, his 'three. sons and the whole clan of theFrasers were cut to pieces; but if we're to believe the tale, they were restored by a kind of miracle.
According to a chronicler, the Macdonalds, ancient enemies of the Frasers, led by the Earl of Huntly, ". . .collected their whole force and, having taken their enemies by surprise, engaged in a most obstinate battle. The unfortunate clan, overpowered by the greatest inequality of numbers, were killed to a man. Thus a family, the most numerous, and, who had often deserved well n' the Scottish weal, had whollY perished, unless, as it seems just te believe, the Divine Providence, had not interfered in their favour. Of the heads of the clan, eightY persons had left their wives Preg: nant at home, and each of then') 'II her turn was delivered of a floe child, who all attained safe t° man's estate." As the chronicler added, "pity but they had been twins!"
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