3 FEBRUARY 1961, Page 12

The Customers Can Wait F. C. Gillman The EEC and

the Commonwealth G. R. Laking Time Exposure Martin EnnaIs Dons and Amateurs G. S. Kirk Teething Troubles Edward Samson Libraries and Authors' Royalties Sir Alan Herbert Stains on the Carpet Michael Lea pman Indeterminate Sentences Dr. R. M. Pigache Kirk and Nation J. M. Reid

From Here to Obscenity Brian Hill, Anthony Hartley, S. T. Hunt, Katharine W hiteltort

Charitable Appeals John Guest Sensibility Sean Lucy Which Comes First? A. A. Shen field

THE CUSTOMERS CAN WAIT

Sta,—I have been overseas and have just read your January 13 issue, in which you publish an article, The Customer Can Wait,' on the recent unofficial strike at London Airport. The article suggested that BEA and BOAC did not publicly acknowledge the inconvenience caused to their customers by the sus- pension notices giYen to certain of their engineers. In fact, the two Corporations were acutely aware of the inconvenience resulting from their attitude, which was certainly not 'a very much unspoken one,' as the article declared.

In a joint announcement issued by the Corpora- tions on the day of the stoppage to the press it was stated that they greatly regretted any incon- venience to the travelling public, but believed 'that only by taking this action now will the interests of all those who use their services be safeguarded in, the future.' In a subsequent comment to the press, before our services were resumed, a similar statement was also made.—Yours faithfully,

P. C. GILLMAN

Chief Press and Information Officer British Overseas Airways Corporation Stratton House, Piccadilly, WI [Anybody might think, .reading Mr. Gillman's letter, that we had condemned BEA and BOAC for taking the stand they did. On the contrary, we called it admirable. Mr. Gillman should know that announcements to the press are not the same thing as keeping the actual travelling passengers (who may not see the English papers which print them) in- formed.—Editor, Spectator.]