Opinions and Queries
Page 48
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Nationalize Without Compensation
WITH reference to your leading article, "A Strong " Government Essential," in your issue dated August 31, may I ask since when have you been privileged to tell the country what they want and what they should do?
I do not suppose you believe it, but just in case you have not seen a Government paper, I can tell you they are doing a grand job, and it is still the best country in the world to live in. . . If you people are not satisfied, then clear out, 'emigrate is just what we want you to do. If I had my way, I would see that you wentl Compensation should never have been paid to any owners whose businesses were nationalized. Only the value of plant taken should have been paid for, and employment offered. This would include everyone under nationalization.
Crewe. N. G. H1LDITCH.
[Apparently Mr. Hilditch reserves the right to himself to tell us what we ought to do. In fact, he advocates not socialism but dictatorship, when he says that if he had his way he would enforce our emigration. We would like to know what his view of the situation would be if he were the owner of a business about to be nationalized and he were to he informed that he would receive no compensation for his loss. There are, of course, many people prepared to advise on how others should be treated. As regards Britain being still the best country to live in, this B14 is probably true because. we still retain some vestiges of the freedom we once had, but conditions in respect of food and many other creature comforts are -steadily-sleteriorating.—ED.] YOUTH OF TO-DAY STUDIES BUSES WITH regard to the letter from Mr. E. J. Cooke in
your issue dated August 24, if he cared to observe some of the London Transport drivers in the Southall area he might change his mind concerning the need for the use of first, gear for starting as soon as a dozen passengers are on board an 8-ft.-wide bus.
The first thing that struck me when I was last in Southall was that nine out of 10 of the drivers used second gear for starting, and this with the preselective box. It applied whether the bus was nearly empty or practically full. Near my home, 8-ft. doubleand singledeckers are quite a common sight on the country routes, but, even there, the drivers use second gear for starting, load or no load.
As regards the additional weight of new buses, I think the most obvious reason is that more attention is given to comfort, and the seating arrangements are
better without sacrificing numbers. .
High Wycombe. R. B. DAVIES (age '15).