The Comic MtA-FREOt/isRED/ COMIC of the L S E STUDENTS' UNION No. April 27th. 1976 8(rr^MONt5 lNTTUJtr&ir[Mnt A-^14 rp nfovririX MO spon— CHPuSt NBW57VDgNr\ I'll hri^-Do&N iri^fNViriN^, fiooNrmiNK!) THIS PUAPff HAS HIPOeM E7!MmsnK2mi .. T^K6s PUTNTY OP exeircise.. • so si^wi semes IN.. Mo... I 75 THAT A MHSHMOM l4NtON Merr/NA-^ wror DM . tN C'OMFom'^. . 66 BRITISH UBRARY Of POUm SECMOMIC SOEXa * * . • • 18J11N199Q wmf ACAtJiPf^ic- ritoM^.. 'OH peAR!rHeKe'"T. „ F=h SUfrHrSHOKT/We OPSOOW! 4= h V 11 I ......-i 1 ^f\. '^^10 ^^3^ ISMT PINALU1.. osrhiHs A PgWW /4NOOFf^fPlAa^ ins Cf^MRTp;— otv joc't^sipiKirr te®- BKAVKR. April ;:tli. 1976—Page T»o LETTERS Union dictatorship DEAR EDITOR.—At the annual budset meeting this year a call of quorum was ignored on the assertion that "previous annual budget meetings have never needed to be quorate". Yet close scrutiny of the constitution has revealed no clause that exempts budget meetings frcm the need to be representative. In my opinion it Is ridic. ivs for an inquorate meeting to vote o.i the constitutional matter of w;; ther or not a meeting needs to be quorate. And a precedent has now bee.i set. Any meeting, however small, can take decisions on any matter. Could we be entering an era of executive rule, or of badly-publicised Broad Left-dcminated union meetings at four in the morning when everyone else is asleep. Unlikely, perhaps. "But what is all this fuss about?" you may ask. "The budget meeting may have been important but it was only a single case of constitution bending and is therefore better ignored." Wrong! This was not an isolated incident: there are numerous other examples. At the meeting immediately following this, another call of quorum was made, again the meeting was found inquorate, yet despite this there appeared to be a concensus of opinion that a vote should be taken" regardless. Could such a vote have any democratic value whatever?" No. of course not. Rather we must see it as one further move towards the dictatorship of a minority of active students at L.S.E. All right, so the person who called quorum was a Tory, the motions were probably of popular appeal, but this is irrelevant as far as the coereive implication of the incidents are concerned. After the meeting the person who called quorum was attacked by one of the people involved in proposing the motion. Clearly he is prepared; to use force when democracy fails. So. what should be done? I feel that it is time to make some fundamental changes with the running of the union. '1) This year's budget meeting should be formally overruled (A motion has been pre posed i; (2) Voting in the union should be confined to specific Issues or abolished completely; (3 The allowwice given to the union lor each of its members should be distributed to those members at the beginning of the year, thereby ¦allowing each individual to decide independently how he wislies to spend his own money, thereby cutting doun on administrative waste, and preventing the present gross mis-allocation.of resources: (4) Tlie union should contitiue as a co-ordinative body, giving information about campaigns, collecting for various causes, and as a general forum for discussion. Ultimately students must decide between an increasingly unrepresentative, dictatoral imion and a reduced but functional co-ordinative body based on the right of individual decision and the principles of anarchy. WYON STANSFELO 0/S students occupation DEAR EDITOR.—Two broad views are apparent amongst members of the academic staff about overseas students' fees. One view is that '.ae School has no practicable financial alternative to accepting the 30 per cent increase. The other view is that there are practicable alternatives. necessarily involving cuts in other educational expenditure within the School (such as not filling further vacancies amongst the the academic staS). and that these ought to be explored. I share this second view. It is generally agreed that we may be facing further Government decisions which will greatly increase overseas students' fees later this year. My disagreement with the attitude adopted by the students' union at the end of last term was twofold. First, it would not accept the logic that a decision not to increase the fees must result in educational cuts elsewhere within the School's budget. The failure to accept this reduced the union's attitude to a cry of pain and no more. Secondly, the occupation was irrelevant because it could not make more likely a decision not to increase the tees. For the future, aad especially if the likelihood of further increases in these fees becomes imminent, I write to express the hope that the students' union will press the School to examine in detail, with the union's active co-operation, the ways in which sa\'ings jnay be mftde elsewhere so. as to avoid increases in the fees of overseas students. J. A. G. GRIFFITH 5o^ sv^! ave 836 8861 439 4470 ABC bayswater 229 41dA FROM SUNDAY 2ND MAY EXCLUSIVE SHOWCASE PRESENTATION EDGWAREABC2 HAMMERSMrTHABCS WATFORD 00E0N1 ESHERABC2 PURLEYAST0R1A1 WOODFORD ABC2 GUILDFORD STUDI01 STAINES ABC2 BE.%VER, April a7th, 1976—Paee Thrw NUS ference Hugh Lanning and Valerie Coultas LLANDUDNO never knew what hit it. A cruietty prosperous seaside resort happily selling its lucky bingo boards, and enjoying the lull before the summer season, when the NUS arrived in town (week of April 5th-9th). What the locals thought of the 1,200-plus invasion, nobody knows. Indicators were just a few half-heard insults hurled from passing Jaguars as they headed for the hills. Who was bothered about the locals anyway, for the uninitiated this is the NUS's twice-yearly bonanza. The conference (at a cost conservatively estimated at over £100,000) is to the NUS what Ascot is to our upper classes. It is also a time for party lines, marshalled disciplined cohorts. It is a time for bureaucracy, where a lot of time is spent discussing future conferences, and it is a time for jargon, trying out your new pet phrase. The most popular slogan was "resign !" but my vote goes to "honest ineptitude is as good as incompetent treachery." But to the serious business (?!) a few salient points. Broad Left swept the elections and kept policy motions within (their) bounds. The Tories emerged as a real force (God bless their election managers and the Broad Left). While the biggest problem facing students is unemployment according to Charles Clarke, but it is Charles Clarke according to a member from the floor. I never wanted to go to Conference anyway Interim Executive Report Elections THE Interim Executive Report is the document reporting on what the Executive has dor>e since last Conference and a lot of time is devoted to it. It is a time when students (or at least their delegates) have a chance to. hit back at the Executive. According to Pete Ashby (Broad Left —they're mostly Broad Left) it was "not Broad Left Journal Mark IT' but this seemed to elicit some doubt from the- floor, especially as it was feigned by only the Broad Left members of the Exec. The other three (Pete Gillard, Hugh Lanning and Val Coultas) produced a minority report. The first piece of excitement concerning the report was on Tuesday (the first few sessions the delegates just gawp at the platform, then tijey realise the delights of Excc-bashing). It ¦ooncemed the Right to Work (Campaign. Now you know it is an IS front and I know it, but Conference ut it is quite exciting and it keeps the typists at work. Soon after Pennie Cooper had a section •of her Women's Report referred back for lack of detail. On Wednestiay afternoon there \ras the Report from NTJS Services. Conference felt that the student press should hear this t usually the report is heard in closed session), the Executive felt that the student press should not be aLowed in (we're an irresponsible lot), the student press felt that it could do with a break. However, the Eifec lost and so we sat through it. To indicate my irresponsibility I tirink an • attack on NUS Services is in order. It has always amazed me that NUS, for all its Socialist rhetoric, could run such nasty little concerns. Not only are they profit orientated (rather than student), with saies policy strongly influenced by external commission, but they are also expensive and to compound the hypocrisy they make losses. They're not just stinking capitalist concerns but loss-making stinking capitalist concerns. Any way, it was nice to see some of the Report referred back. This issue concerned the NUS Ser-vjc-es redundancies and with NUS POLICY con- demning unemployment too. Still I doubt if the referral back will get those people their jobs back. Thursday morning was the setting for the International Section of the Interim Executive Report. It began well enough with the referral back of the section dealing with Southern Africa and the censure (the first of the Conference) of Chris Morgan for the lack of NUS initiatives. Like "referrals back" "votes of censure seem to be lovely pieces of nothing, but Chris did look embarrassed. Next came what was supposed to be the major issue of the Conference . . . the Bucharest Agreement. This was the result of a meeting of Carles Clarke, Trevor Phillips and A1 Stewart with Eastern European Student Unions. Here the NUS (that's you) united with other "pro-gres.sive forces'' "to win the struggle for peace and democracy and for a better future." The Bucharest Agreement was attacked for its slavishly pro-Soviet line and our delegation was attacked for as-sociating with the CSU"V (puppet Students' Union of Czechoslovakia). Talk of "progressive forces" can be balanced against the fact that abortion is illegal in Rumania (the host country). The debate t>egan with an innfpassioned speech by A1 Stewart in defence of working with the IlfS (International Union of Students—Moscow oriented). However, this was of no avail and a censure on the three Executive members, who went to Bucharest was overwhelmingly passed. Next a vote of censure was moved on Charles Clarke for the delay in the distribution of the Agreement (especially in view of the undertaking he had given to distribute it within weeks not months). This too was passed and finally the European Section of the International Report was thrown out. So looking back we had five referral backs and three votes of censure, which is not a bad record for a Conference. However, nothing realiy happened and looking back I feel I've witnessed a great illusion. All that enei-gy, that anger, that emotion and for what ? So the executive, the bureaucracy, the whole machinery could come out looking about as undisturbed as a bunch of Cheshii-e cats. Northern Ireland PERHAPS the major problem fac-jiig the NUS is the situation of the n.OOO students in Northern Ireland. Kere students have been killed in IhJs most immense political proto-jem, a problem so gargantuan that OUT student politicos have to ignore it. Motions on Northern Ireland were not prioritised for the policy rebates, nor were the emergency motions concerning Ulster/Occupied Six Counties. At the Conference ne had discussions on Chile and Iran, both •t'i thtm quite far away. The prob- lems of Northern Ireland are not that far away, either in distance or in causes, from our own problems. Indeed there seems a tendency for the problems to come to London in quite tangible forms. The most dominant phenomena of the Conference was fatuous political rhetoric and the further away the problem the better. You couldn't help feeling sorry for the Northern Ireland delegates. The only "interest'' in their problem canie from the Troops Out Movement, whose closest allies in Northern Ireland are the OfBcial IR.^. TOM has already earned Mr Cox (Queens University Belfast) disparaging remarks in the Republican News (just aoove the obituaries of Pi'ovos killed on active sei-vice). The students of Northern Ireland are trymg to build a common movement above the baiTiers of sectarianism. The campaign for the "Better Life for All" Charter (which wants better social conditions and a Bill of Rights) is progressing slowly. It's sad th.U the Only interest from English students is destructive, the product of disgustingly congealed dogma—Trotskyism. THE major business of the Conference was the elections for the NUS Executive of the next academic year: the faces which will appear as our representatives. The most important election was for the post of President, presently held by Charles Clarke (Broad Left of course). Hapgood (the Conservative) received a lot of vociferous support in the hustings but the main fight was between Clarke and Hugh Lanning. Before the Conference Lanning had formed a grouping known as Socialist Challenge, consisting of such diverse elements as Maoists and Liberals, but to the Left of the Broad Left. Strange bed persons However, in the election Charles Clarke won on the votes of the Conservatives who transferred to him rather than Lannin^. In the past the Conservative vote might just as well have gone to Lanning (to weaien Broad Left control), but this time the Conservatives saw their interests lying with the Broad Left. It was a pattern to be repeated. In the elections for the Deputy President Pete Ashby (previously ¦Vice-President Services) was elected on first preferences. The election lor Treasurer was a contest between Lanning (the present Incumbent) and Chris Morgan (Broad Left). The latter won after a good speech which attacked Lanning for not opening out decisions. All in all it wasn't Lanning's Conference. Tory-Commi Alliance The election for National Secretary was between Sue Slipman (BL and CP) and Valerie Coultas iIMG —she didn't expect to win). Again it was spot the Tory transfer; still it's Intriguing to see the Tories voting for a Communist. So Slip-man got in, and now all the major full-time Executh-e posts are held by the Broad Left. Of the part-timers D. Aaronovitch. P. Coopyer, T. Phillips and J. Lloyd were elected Vice-Presidents for Services, Education, Areas and Welfare. They're all Broad Left. Of the three Executive OfiBcers two were BL ("K. Kopp-Brown and P. Perkins) while the other (A. Dugan) was IS. I thoiight perhaps the Broad Left were slipping, but they were only standing the two candidates and captive minorities have their u^. Moon shines bright by B.L. permission Two of the Executive Committee members voted in were BL (P. Blomfield and H. Deans), one was IS ose ¦yours sincerelv. PROFESSOR RALF DAHRENDORF Overseas Students Action Committee replies TO THE DIRECTOR The Overseas' Students' Action Committee of the Students' Union regrets that your letter, while full of much sarcasm, wit and misplaced indignation, fails to make any serious proposals on the questions concerning overseas students most—the increase in fees and discrimination against overseas students in general. We propo.se in this letter to consider some of the points raised by yourself and to outline our general position. (i) Your assertion that we have done harm to the position of overseas students, is clearly false. It rests on the premise that the best way to defeat discrimination is for a small clique of elite c and the various individuals behind them, at the right time. In the circumstances it is not we who need to be reminded of fear. To conclude : your letter was disappointing—but let it pa.ss. We are still open to suggestions from the school. Of course we shall continue our fight as vigorously as we began it. Sincerely. THE OVERSEAS STUDENTS' ACTION COMMITTEE. Widespread support for occupation TELEGRAMS and other messages of solidarity were received from the following: "Antonio Gramsci" Branch of the Communist Party of Malta, Birbeck College S.U., Convener Central Sub Area of the London Students' Organisation, Hellenic Society of the Architectural Association, KIngsway Princeton Polytechnic S.U., North London Polytechnic S.U. executive, National Organisation of International Socialist Students, Polytechnic of Central London S.U, Queen Elizabeth College S.U., Queen Mary College S.U., School of Oriental and African Studies S.U., Trevor Philips for National Union of Students, Students' Representative Council of the University of London, Westfield College Union Society, Youth Wing of the Greek Communist Party (Exterior). From : S.R.C.U.L.U. We commend your action of occupying over the important issue of discriminatory fees for overseas students. Only by showing a real concern and action can we hope that the authorities will choose a wiser course than the one they have suggested. You have the full support of S.R.C. Signed: Richard Silver, Mona Gleditsch. SOME OF THE MESSAGES From : S.O.A.S. All the best for your occupation. We are organising strike tomorrow over overseas students discrimination. Signed: S.O.a'.S. S.U. (March 10th). From : Westfield College Support your action regarding overseas students' fees increase imposed by the government as part of its savage attack on educational expenditure. Hope your protest meets with some success.—Signed: Westfield College U.S. From : Kingsway Princeton Full support for your action against ILEA racist attack on overseas Students. Signed: Fraternally Kingsway Princeton S.U. From : North London Poly Full support to you in your fight to defend overseas students and the standard of our education. Signed: North London Poly S.U. Exec. From: Trevor Philips for NUS F^ill support to occupation. See you on Demo tomorrow. Signed : Trevor Philips. From 'Antonio Gramsci' Branch Maltese Communist Party, Valletta, Malta We are sending this letter as an expression of solidarity in support of tile occupation of Dahrendorfs offices led by the Overseas Students Action Committee, between the 10th and the 12th of March 1976. We feel it is our duty to urge you not to divorce your campaign from the struggle of immigrant labour and that of the working class as a whole and to keep in mind the hard reality tliat as students we are meaningless: but as idealogues of the working class we could mean a lot. Signed : With fraternal greetings. Mary Borg, "A Gramsci" Branch. PKM, 31 March. BKAVKR, April 27th. 1976—Page Six Politics of 0/S fees increase "University fees in Britain are high in relation to many European countries, low in relation to the US and entirely irrational in relation to the cost of education. To differentiate within such a system is therefore, not an act of economic rationality but one of social discrimination."—Ralf Dahrendorf, "Daily Telegraph," January 20th. 1976. COLONIAL MENTALITY 1976 It has been said that the Increase in fees for overseas students is "not an act of economic rationality but one of social discrimination." Indeed tiiis is borne out by remarks made by Fred MuHey, Secretary of State for Education, who said at SheCQeld University: "If you don't like it, ko home." Tlie basis of his thinking, and of the Press propaganda, is that overseas students should feel grateful for being accepted In this country. In other words we should be proud of being victims of discrimination! The colonial mentality still lingers on— the "natives" are expected to acknowledge the "privilege" the British ruling class is bestowing on them by "subsidisir.g"(?) their education. DIVIDE AND RULE To veil their impotence in the face of the economic crisis besetting the U.K.. the people wielding economic and political power have to find scapegoats to divert the attention of the British working class. Experts in the tactic of "Divide and rule", the British ruling class is trying to rouse the British students against the overseas students, the local workers against the immigrant workers. The reason for this is simple. The immigrant workers and overseas students are the weakest groups in this society, and because of racist and discriminatory rules like the Immigration Act they are in a difficult position to retaliate—so the ruling class think. Since it has already been shown, in the Press and in Parliament, that the fees increase is not justified on "purely economic grounds" in the context of the university, it is clear that the problem cannot be seen In isolation from society as a whole. ECONOMICS OF EXPLOITATION Britain is an imperialist country. For more than four centuries it has been exploiting the peoples of Asia. Africa and Latin America. Its Industries were built upon the sweat and blood of workers in different parts of the world. Caring for nothing more than cheap raw materials for their factories, the imperialists did nothing to develop their colonies. Thus most of the Third World countries today have distorted and overspeclalised economies as the following table of exports in 1964 shows:— 72 of Columbia's exports were of coffee 60% of Ceylon's exports were of tea 65% of Ghana's exports were of cocoa 70% of Senegal's exports were of groundnuts and groundnut oil 64% of Malaysia's exports were of rubber and tin 98% of Venezeuela's exports were of petrol, iron ore and coffee 93% of Mauritius's exports were of sugar Their livelihood is almost entirely dependent on the "goodwill" of the rich countries. In Iran in 1950, British companies raked in £180 million profits while Iran got £16 million in "aid". In Hong Kong, in 1969-70, £52 million were brought back to Britain to stabilise the pound: in 1972 £900 million were again brought to stabilise the pound, and in 1974 around £400 million were retained in London as reserves. It has been calculated that the annual British profit rake-off from Malaysia alone is enough to finance 15 British universities, PRIVILEGE OR RIGHT? Taking into consideration all this money extracted from Third World countries it is ludicrous to pretend that British taxpayers are subsidising overseas students. In fact the underdeveloped countries have been subsidising the British economy for far too long. Therefore we can legitimately assert that coming to British universities is not a question of privilege but of right. Actually the British Government has in the past encouraged students from its colonies to study here and did massive propaganda to the effect that the education here was superior to anywhere else. At the same time they deliberately failed to develop the educational system in the colonies. This policy was dictated by the Interests of British monopoly capital which needed a strata of lackeys to look after Its colonial interests. The rationale behind their attitude towards the education of the colonised peoples Is embedded In Lord. Macautay's celebrated statement of 1835; "We must at present do otu- best to form a class who may be interpreters between us and the milUons we govern—a class of persons Indian in blood and colour, but English in tastes, In opinions, in words and in intellect." But the unfolding of the national liberation struggles and the replacement of British Imperialist domination of many countries by USA, USSR, Japan and West Germany meant a decline In the need of British Imperialism to groom lackeys In these countries. Instead, the training of overseas students is now seen as hampering the profits of British multinationals, of Britain's capitalist class. Lord Bowden, dean of the faculty of engineering at UMIST, sp>oke against overseas students: "After their education, overseas students could return home and join industries competing with Britain's." Whose interests is he defending? Clearly not that of the British working class but definitely those of British monopoly capital. IMMIGRANT WORKERS A similar pattern can be noted In the treatment of inunlgrant workers. The reason they were brought here was very starkly revealed by the new Prime Minister James Callaghan In 1946: "In a few years we will be faced with shortage of labour, not with a shortage of jobs; we should break away from this artificial segregation of nation from nation . . . who is going to pay for the old-age pensioners and social services unless we have an addition to our population which only emigration can provide in the years to come." Punch magazine of August 21st 1954 added that ". . . each new immigrant at work helps to provide for the unproductive half of the population." Driven out of world markets, the British capitalists' major solution has been to lay off workers and then wave the scarecrow of immigrant invasion. They seem to be succeeding with the help of the media (eg BBC's "Open Door"), but workers will soon realise that their strength lies in the unity of all against the few capitalists. The fight against the increase in fees and against the cuts can be successfully waged only if we do not lose sight of the fact that all our struggles are linked and should be directed against the main enemy, the capitalist ruling class. BRITISH STUDENTS In this context we would like to answer some points raised by British students. They say that they cannot be held responsible for what their grandfathers did: colonialism. To them we say, imperialism did not die with their grandfathers. By remaining silent over the activities of such groups as Lonhro. B.A.T. etc, many British students are in fact making themselves accomplices of monopoly capital. They are being deluded into thinking that the key to their economic recovery lies In getting rid of foreigners altogether. FACTS AND FIGURES To give an idea of how Third World countries are being exploited, we have Included, a table showing the external public debt outstanding and debt service payments of 80 developing countries to Western imperialist countries. Column 2 of the table shows that in 1969 the "poor underdeveloped" countries were exporting almost 5,000 million dollars to the rich countries. Based on a growth rate of 140^ p.a. the size of total debt outstanding will be S287 billion in 1981. EXTERNAL PUBLIC DEBT OUTSTANDING AND DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS OF 80 DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE OF GROWTH DEBT DEBT (1960-69) OUT- SERVICE Debl Debt STANDING PAYMENTS Out- Service 31.12.69 IN 1969 standing Pay-(®b) ments 13 AFRICA (S Million) 9.184 (S Million) 725 EAST ASIA 7.876 436 MIDDLE EAST 4,883 475 SOUTH ASIA 13,154 618 SOUTH EUROPE 6.228 532 W. HEMISPHERE 17,618 2.183 TOTAL 58.943 4,969 17 13 17 13 11 14 13 17 5 19 8 6 Who aids whom ? Student occupattn: An analogr t PROFESSOR Dahrendorf has suggested that our 'occupation of his and surrounding offices was nothing less than a lockout. This implies that (i) Students own or at least effectively control the means of production of education. (ii) Students choose, more or less freely, the most appropriate workers from the available labour force; enter, into a contract with them whereby the chosen worker accepts to work for X -f Y hours a day, X hours of which correspond to the value of his own and his family's daily subsistence and Y hours of which constitutejidities the surplus value creamed oBftourse by the employer. m as r w mat This is certainly a situatioafljnore we look forward to and fixated fo for. But to suggest that this is Uhe pi already the case is sheer mystj^fiiauxili fication. *ed t 'j^givei A COUNTER ANALOGY *(furth nie lik( Enough of this nonsense. In- twrs stead we put forward a dit uns 01 ferent picture and suggest that these it represents reality more faith. | fully. We have spoken of the pf co production of education but idly 1( concretely what are the conv®woul Implications ofdi SINCE the battle is not yet over it may be premature to thank all those who through their own encouraging support have contributed to our direct action. But instead of referring to all relevant issues to which other students have referred in this edition of Beaver, may we address and remind the director of certain important "implications" that may arise once education is no longer available to those in need of it. For, by definition, we accept that any (iis-criminatory fees or giving in to pressure from this government or any other is a form of additional limitation on the threefold objective of education : Education as a means of knowledge; as a ladder of social mobility and as a contribution to solving the conflict inherent in industrial societies. The argument, therefore, is about the sort of education the people of this country would wish to have; education they can afford to have; and historically speaking, obliged to have. For all three issues, the answer must be affirmative; for it would have been incompatible with the long and noble spiritual aspirations of the majority of the people who see education as a ladder of social mobility. Acceptance of a "non-affirmative" answer would have also been contrary to your firm stand at our first overseas students' meeting, when you. Prof. Dahrendorf so passionately defended the concept of education at large as our aim for all. Time, however, has been counter productive. Instead of seeing the materialisation of your convictions and the stressing of them, we have experienced a period of political manoeuvres which have contributed nothing to our pressing problems. It is not the case of sixteen vacant lectureships to which Prof. Griffiths referred in our emergency union meeting on March 11th, nor the size of the class being 14 or the one marginal student to make it 15. which occupiej our major attention. Above all, we are concerned with developing an understanding of the complexities of world societies that only education can offer. Coming from a developing country where educational institutions, by European standards, are inadequate, if not non-existent, the understanding would be inadequate if an limati^ Itish ec 4 we s raid it Irer se "^itnes Furtt t und itinuat * adva Wsocial ¦•t im{ Ainabli Q[icati< '.istcontr inly be mngerr lital foi eaeatior wated stem. < plicit I en up One ( sions lenge irrev nts we r at." ; N.B.-tupatio ^regist< •ressec WK-i. , Of ^ fwy MM. cioVe/jMCMf full cost of youe BEAVER. April 27th. 1976—Page Seven )Kcrimination ticns as lockouts gytoo far mtties produced? You and I ofwrse. We enter this institu-tifis more or less amorphous ranaterial and we exit with a lore or less definite form sued for a particular function inhe process of production or itiKiliary processes. We are jiM to be good if we fulfil tljjiven function well. With-oKurther ado we say: we are tiMlike commodities than the omn or managers of the nws of production that turn Ofthese commodities. if course, this factory is hiil.v 100% efficient. It it were W'ffouldn't be here to write these scurrilous paragraphs. Also, this factory is still not properly geared to present day capitalism. It produces too many mandarins, too many traditional or humanistic intellectuals. Rejoice, therefore, we are not fighting against a steady state monolith but, rather, against a crumbling apparatus that shares the change and the contradictions of the society it serves. Moreover, the school is not our only teacher; the intensification of the class struggle points to the solutions which the university is unable to point at. ducational cuts aUnative were not available. Do we then need the facilities of Bfish educational arrangements more than ever before ? But how caye attain them, if our fees increase by such proportions? Wild it not be incompatible with the precious aspirations of the peer sections of this country who are now latently called upon to*itness a historically backward process of education for a few ? Furthermore, if knowledge is restricted to a few, how can these fe: understand our problems ? Or should we accept the connuation of existing arrangements of two-scale world society; onadvanced and the other under-developed, and be content with thjocial evils of illiteracy, misery and poverty that under-develop-mit implies ? Should we conclude that since education is not atlnable, understanding is impossible ? These are just a few injlications of educational cuts. What is of major importance is thtontribution of education to solving "institutional conflict." We fialj- believe that the elimination of prejudicial institutional amgernents as well as the creation of positive and new institu-ti«l forms aiming at the solution of the inherent conflict make edition indispensable. The consequence of a failure to have an edeted "mass" would be to ensure the collapse of the social S3*m. Of course, we do concern ourselves at this stage with the iipcit but far-reaching world level of the conflict; this can be ta;a up by others better qualified. One could draw innumerable historic instances, when "wrong" dasions made by those responsible for social priorities went un-chlenged. The failure to oppose such decisions has had lasting an irreversible effects on mankind. Now the problem of education pcents itself and a decision has to be made, but before it is too la\we make an urgent appeal: "Let us oppose something destruc-tir" . G.C. Several comrades involved in the campaign, in the ocupation, and in the preparation of this action bulletin, would like toregister their disagreement and opposition to the tendency ewessed by the author of the above article. oiaam What is F,U.E,M,S,S,0. ? FUEMSSO is the Federation of Malaysian and Singapore Students' Organisation in the United Kingdom and Eire. The Executive Committee of the Federation carries out mandates which derive from resolutions passed by the Constituent Unions at each Annual Delegate Conference. WELFARE OF STUDENTS Up to this point. FUEMSSO has been involved in the protection of the welfare of Malaysian and Singapore students in this country, particularly with regard to the campaign against the discriminatory fees, and also in supporting the student movement and the just struggle of workers and peasants in both Malaysia and Singapore. Annual Delegate Conferences have condemned the Governments of Malaysia and Singapore for the brutal suppression of the people following demonstrations and demands for the legitimate democratic rights. Threat to health workers 5,000 FOREIGN health service workers throughout London are threatened with the sack. This stark message is spelt out clearly in a memo issued by the City and East London Area Health Authority to hospitals in that area. The workers threatened, who are mainly from Spain, Portugal, the Far East and South America, will find it almost impossible to get their work permits renewed when they expire. The directive - which emanates trom the Department of Employment - with pressure from the TUC is designed to mask the unemployment situation by victimising foreign workers. Health service workers must be given every support by the trade union movement to resist the redundancies. A NUPE steward, addressing a branch meeting, said the implementation of the directive would be the "nearest example of nazism it's possible to find". The memo is reprinted below: City and East London Area Health Authority - ciiv and Hackney oistrici (ti From: Oawn Hill. Senior Administrative Assistant, Personr>el To: Ail Heads of Oeparlnr>ent, Service Managers renewal of work permits We have been infornr>ed by the Department of Employment that the posts held by employees who are subject to work permits wilt be treated as vacancies when the period to which the permit relates expires and it follows that we can no lortger rely on renewals being given as easily as they have been in the past. The Department of Err^loyment wilt attempt to produce cartdidates for these posts, af>d, if suitable British nationals are available for work, we will be expected to employ them in the place of the foreign nationals corKerned. It should be noted that when a foreign nationat't employment IS terminated as a result of the O.O.E./Home Office refusing to renew their work permit, we will r>ot be subject to appeals against unfair dismissal. Inevitably, suitable cand»dates will not always be produced by the 0.0.E. and in these circurmtar>ces, existir>g employees' permits wilt usually t>e renewed. It is obvious that heads of department will not wish to delay decision in these rr>atters ar>d, as the procedure now adopted, will take sonrte time to complete, it is requested that the personnel department should be informed at least 6 weeks before the expiry day of an employee's permit in order that the appropriate action can be taken. If heads of departments wish to apply for an extension to an employee's work permit they should send to the persortnet department the employees passport, employment certificate, copies of relevant certificates, diplomas etc. The procedure applying to student nurses when they become state registered is unchanged (OH/LK 21/1/76) From the paper- The Conferences have demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained on account of their courageous fight against oppression. To this end a Standing Committee on Human Rights has been set up. Successive Annual Delegate Conferences have also noted the vital importance of increasing the awareness of Malaysian and Singapore students with regard to Human Rights and the plight of the oppressed. The FUEMSSO News Service tries, to a certain extent, to achieve this aim by communicating the depths of the problems in Malaysia and Singapore. While another publication, Beiira FUEMSSO, carries more studied pieces, usually by Malaysian and Singapore students, on the causes of poverty and landlessness in Malaysia and Singapore. APRIL CONFERENCE At the latest Conference, held this April, resolutions were passed on four major issues :— Overseas Students. Discriminatory Fees, Nurses, Racial Unity and the Consolidation of FUEMSSO. All these resolutions reflect the seriousness and commitment felt by Malaysian and Singapore students. RACIAL UNITY On the very vital and touchy issue of racial unity, the consensus reached was as following : The Conference recognised that there is no fundamental conflict of interest among the majority pf all races. It was further agreed that racial conflict is an inheritance from our colonial past and is exacerbated by opportunist political groups in the pursuit of their selfish ends, who collaborate with foreign interests in the exploitation of the country's labour and natural resources. Operation Namibia NAMIBIA is known as that curious country that is sandwiched between Angola and The Republic of South Africa; unfortunately it is not sandwiched any more. For many years it has been outrightly occupied by South Africa, in direct defiance of a U.N. resolution which demanded South Africa's withdrawal. In fact Namibia is, according to the organisers of this pioject, the only country still under colonial rule. CARGO OF BOOKS Operation Namibia is a project to take books to the people of Namibia that South Africa bans. Among the books banned by South Africa are some 20.000 different titles, on subjects ranging from pornography to philosophy: and the books to Namibia will consist mainly of political, economic and Namibian historical titles. The basis of "The Voyage of the Peace Boat" is the sailing of a 38 foot ketch to a port somewhere in Namibia crewed by a multi-national crew loaded \yith books for the people of Namibia which are difficult to obtain in that country, as a practical project and also an important example of non-violent action against oppression and potential war. The project has been organised and run by ordinary people supporting freedom and independence. £8,000 COST At present the group" has purchased the boat for the voyage to Namibia, which should start on May 31. The whole project including boat purchase, provisions, fuel, food and books will cost in the region of £8.000; of which the group has already collected over £1.000. Supporters for the project already include students from Leicester and Canterbury, with much also being donated by various Quaker groups and International Pacifist Groups, your support is also urgently needed. The project also need experienced crew members, experienced at sailing or similar non-violent work, or both; but before applying you must understand that not only will the voyage take .some 9-12 weeks, with calls at the ports of Lisbon, Canary Islands. Dakar. Monrovia, Akra, Lagos. Luanda and somewhere in Angola, but you will also be expected to help full time with the project for six weeks before departure. NON VIOLENT PROJECT This is an important nonviolent project to help the people of Namibia, at the invitation of the people, and it is important to stress that this group has no official connections or backing of any of the Liberation groups in Namibia. For further information about the project and how, (if you want to you can help) contact the organisers at: Operation Namibia. 5 Caledonian Road. London Nl; 01-837-9794. h BEAVER, April 2' their hand at this sport. The club has five boats, and rows twice a week at Chiswick. If you are interested in comjjeting or just splashing about come and join us. The Boat House provides inexpensive libations apres rowing. Contact us via the A.U. pigeon holes. CHARLES BADEN FULLER The Art of Karate-do IN Okinawa, a miraculous and mysterious martial art has come down to us from the past. It is said that one who masters the art can defend himself readily without resort to weapons, and perform remarkable feats — the breaking of several thick boards with his fist or ceiling panels of a room with a kick. With his shuto (sword handi he can kill a bull with a single stroke: sheer a hemp rope with a twist, or gouge soft rock -with his hands. Some consider these aspects of this miraculous martial art to be the essence of Karate-do. But such feats are a small part of Karate, playing a role analgous to the straw-cutting test of Kendo I Japanese fencing^ and it is erroneous to think that there is no more to Karate-do than this. In fact, true Karate-do places weight upon spiritual rather than physical matteVs: In daily life, one's mind and body be trained and developed in a spirit of humility: and that in critical times, one be devoted utterly to the cause of justice. The principles underlying Karate tecliniques are; 1. ZUKI (punching). 2. UCHI (striking). 3. GERI (kicking). 4. UKE (blocking). These are the fundamental karate techniques. Students can easily learn to perform these basic movements in little more than two months, but perfection in their performance may be impossible. Therefore, students must practise regularly and employ maximum concentration and effort in the performance of each movement. The folloi^lng points are of pri-marj- importance in the study of karate. 1. Form, balance and centre of gravity. 2. Power and sp>eed. 3. Concentration of power. 4. Role of muscular power. 5. Rh.vthm. 6. Timing. 7. Lower abdomen and hips. The Psychological Principles:— Karate leads to the facing of two men or more, impling that the psychological factors have a critical role. Control of the ¦ fighting psychology" comes to • a person only through long and arduous Karate practice. But some hints and directions from the past do help one to understand the psychology of fighting. (a) Minsu - No - Kokoro (Mind like water). This principle says that a man needs a mind as calm as the surface of stagnant water: the mind should reflect all the movements of the opponent, (b) Tzuki - No - Kokoro (Mind like the Moon). This principle concentrates on the importance of being fully aware of one's opponent's movements. To understand this we can imagine the appearance of some clouds in the sky. resulting in the disappearance of the moon. This predicts what happens to the student when he fails to see clearly his opponent's moves. (c) Tlie Unity. Even 11 one assumes that a student knows the weak points of his opponents, without enough courage to attack such knowledge is useless. Phyiso-Psycho Principles (ai I-Kemi (Foci'si. In Karate. Focus implies the complete concentration of all the body's powers in ore moment on one point. In that Karate is the correct use of the body's muscles. Focus is ven- important, and without it. Karite would be a form of dancing. (bi Hin - Woo iReplv). This principle indicates the importance of the con-ect counter-move of the student to his opponent's attacks. It gives the student of Karate the necessary satisfaction and self-confidence. To end this introduction to Karate. I would emphasise the importance of the correct Ijehaviour of the Karate student. He should control the skills that he leams, and never use them outside the gj-m. unless his life or the lives cf others are in danger. S. YOUSEF Cheap 'n tasty IF you are still faithfully following the herbs and spices chart, let me reassure you that this is the final episode, and I hope that it will be usefully employed on your kitchen/ette wall. Just one interesting point to note: garlic or onions when eaten, immediately reduce the cholesterol level of the blood for several hours afterwards—so if you're worried about eating loo many eggs and milk this is the remedy—the cure for oniony breath ? You guessed it-Milk i CINN.AMON Sweet fragrant flavour. CLCVES Strong sweet flavour. CUMIN Caraway flavoured. SEED CURRY Exotic. pungent PCWDER blend of ginger, pepper, cumin, mustard, caraway, cinnamon, turmeric. GINGER Spicy, pungent, peppery but sweet. JUNIPER Highly aromatic and BERRIES pungent flavoured. MACE Similar to nutmeg. made from its outer shell. MUSTARD Sharp, pungent, hot. NUTMEG PAPRIKA PEPPER Sweet aromatic earthy. Mi,ld, aromatic sweet flavoured. Hot, pungent. SAFFRON Delicate elusive, slightly bitter. TURMERIC Ginger famil}-. mild. VANILLA Bitter'sweet scent. PODS Use with ginger, cloves, mace and pepper as a dry marinade for pork, in mulled wine, stewed fruit, biscuits, pies and sweet sauces. Pickling, ham, pork, fruit puddings. cakes, gingerbread. Curries, meat loaves, bread, rice dishes, chilli con came and other dried bean dishes. For curry. Also adds a tasty flavour to eg?s. especially as a sandwich filling. Cakes, biscuits, stewed fruits, sweet sauces, on melon, on. steaks and chops. Used in gin. pork, pates, stuffings. marinades. Marinades, pates, fish, shellfish, pies, puddings. With meats, sausages etc. to flavour soups, salad dressings, pickles, chutney, heat destroys its strength. Puddings, pastries, pies, cream and egg quiches, spinach, pates. Adds colour and flavour, to fish, cream soups, eggs, vegetables, poultry, veal, White, black and red varieties. Used to flavour most dishes, used liberally in steak au poivre. Used as a colouring (yellow) for paellas, pilafis, fish soup ri.sottos. bouillabaisse. Sold in grains. 4-6 enough for 31b. rice. To flavour and colour rice sauces and curries. Fruit, creams, ices, souffles, sugar, cakes, pastries, reusable. Olive oil is also useful, the fruity green, strongly flavoured first pressing is good in Mediterranean dishes, salads, vinaigrettes. The yellow, lighter second pressing is less penetrating in flavour. Vinegar is also a useful aid, especially the more exotic ones such as, wine, cider, tarragon or garlic vinegar, sauces such ao sweet and sour and devilled are based on vinegar. Next year I hope to get down to vitamin content, etc., explore handy measures for those without scales, and delve into metrication —and of course, come up with some more recipes. Good luck in your exams, and have a good holiday. MICHELLE DODO THE Publications Collective would like to thank Ripley Printeis in Derby for their help, advice and, above all. patience in producing Beaver this year. We should also like to express our gratitude to Sheree Dodd for her skilful and devoted handling of the Beaver editorship over the past year. Thanks also to Mungo Deans for his unceasing ardour in the gruelling and thankless task of Publications Executive Member. We didn't know what hard work meant, until we met Mungo. Next ypar. we look forward to Sheree as Publications Executive Member, and Anton Chapman as editor. With talent like this, the future success of Beaver is assured. The Publications Collective IftE.*VKR. April 27th. 19:6—Pagf Ten THINGS TO DO WORLD OF ISLAM FESTIVAL THE present Festival of Islam in London marks a turning point not tnly in the Western Worlds attitude to the Moslem World but particularly that of the British towards the Arabs. Ever since Suez It has been gradually sinking home that behind the facade of the fcarem there lies a dearth of culture. This rediscovery of Islam can be jnore generally viewed as one of a series of exhibitions which seek to propagate non - European and ancient civilisations. Unlike the Tutenkhamen and the "Arts of China" projects however, there is not one central showpiece which symbolises Islam because any such representation would be imprecise. Islam is primarily a way of life for some 600 million people and is moulded around the beliefs of the prophet Mohammed who preached in Arab'a in the seventh century A.D. The basic tenets of the faith wefe accepted as the word of Allah, namely that he is the only God and Mohammed is his prophet at all times. The extent to which this is believed is borne out by the fervour of Islam and the solid social structure which the religion has imposed from Morocco to as far as Indonesia. Needless to say the Cosmorama ONE of the perks of working ior "Beaver" is that we receive invitations to press previews and such like. At the end of last term two elegant, gilt-edged invitations arrived offering us the chance to partake of "booze and buffet" at the Press Club in aid of an event called "Cos-jmorama". Furthermore Michael Aspel was to introduce attempts at the eighteen -champagne glass high fountain record I What on earth was Cosmorama ? This question was answered by a somewhat lavish press handout which told us that it was to be a record "breaking festival at Lingfield Park Racecourse between 27th and 30th of August; indeed the world premiere of a record "breaking festival of fun. The handout proudly an-«ounced ; "We know that times are hard : that costs are rising: lhat standards of living are falling. But we don't all have to waste away because of it. We can still enjoy ourselves. And if we can make employment out of making enjoyment, why not ?" A festival with a social conscience ! What is clear, however, is that there is a lot of money involved because companies pay the organisers a fee ranging from £2,500 to £10,000 to hire a zone in which the record-breaking attempts will take place under their sponsorship. Money is what it is really all about—a fair amount was spent on the "members of the press" who were inundated with glasses of'champagne to the'extent to which most were too inebriated to fully catch the "Cosmorama" message. However, it appears that the festival could be fun for those of you with some time to spare at the end of August. The festival is built around the Guinness Book of Records, in particular a hundred of these records, and the prime purpose is to sponsor world record attempts for inclusion in future issues of the Guinness Book of Records. Members of LSE might be interested in the 29 hours 5 minutes political speech challenge or the 45 hours lecture challenge. Even hard drinkers might be amazed by the two pints of beer drunk in 2.3 seconds and the two litres drunk in six seconds. The organisers are even enlightened enough to provide a creche and an adventure playground. On a final point, the Champagne glass fountain record was not broken — apparently the secret is specially made glasses, which the organisers hadn't provided. S.D. variety in art and architecture is great but a mosque retains its basic form wherever it is and the Koran is always the same verbatim Koran whatever its origin. The hitherto commercial ties with the Moslem world have tended to bias our impression of firstly the Ottomans and later the Arabs and Iran. Perhaps the English could never quite accept that there were other nations of shopkeepers who were striking hard bargains in the kasbah! To dispel this illusion once and for all the Festival displays Islam in all its possible aspects; its art, literature and religion, not to mention its invaluable contribution to Western technology and music during the Middle Ages. There are all In all some 2,000 exhibits, most of which have been lent from museums in the Middle East, varying in size and elegance from Persian metalwork to very extravagant Afghan carpets. None are however much later than the sixteenth century, because the main artistic styles have not significantly changed and are therefore as characteristic of Islam as ever, though this does not mean that Islam is in any sense a dying religion. It is true that European technology has in recent decades made greater inroads into the Middle East than ever, but there are signs that Islam should be able to accommodate such change and adapt. If you only visit one of the displays then' for sheer beauty and variety the "Arts of Islam" exhibition at the Hayward is the most impressive. But as well as teaching us about Islam the most important thing the Festival can do is to make us receptive to the backgrounds of other peoples, be they Chinese, Africans or even Red Indians, even though such information may well disturb our preconceived ideas. A gilded and enametkd vessel April 9th-July 4th : "The Art of Islam", lery. The Hayward Gal- April 7th - August 29th r 'l "Science and Technology."' The Science Museum. 5 April 7th-July 30th: "Nomad and City"'. The Museum of Mankind. April 9th-August 15th : "The Koran"". The British Library, The British Museum. April 9th-July 11th : Painting from the Courts of Mogul Emperors. Until June 30th; "Arts of the ; Hausa", The Commonwealth Institute. Until May 30th: "Persian Metalwork", The Victoria and Albert Museum. In addition to the centre displays there are numerous fiinge displays for the specialists and fanatics on Islamic Art and Architecture — details are available from the museums above. SIMON MARKS ENTSNEWS A headache for Cosmorama. HI everyone, welcome back to Ents-land w-here the first non-event of the term is the by-now legendary mythical Mud Concert with City University. Originally scheduled for last term, problems beset your humble servants in Si 18; we couldnt find a suitable venue. Pray let me explain for the benefit of those unfortunate beings who have not had the pleasure of attending a gig at LSE, ye Olde Theatre isn't big enough to accommodate Mud's Lightshow, let alone the rest of their gear, and there is no way whatsoever we could meet their power requirements. (There in a nutshell, is the main reason we cannot promote "big" bands at LSE). Then it suddenly hit me: The Great Hall at City University. After a quick phone call and at the time of scribbling this article. I have been unable to find out why. So the date is ofT, but if by some miracle we manage to redeem it. kindly disregard this article and watch out for posters and leaflets in college. For the next few weeks we assumed that you would be hitting the library, so the next iconfirmed, this time) gig is on Saturday, May 22nd; Sony Terry and Brownie McGhee for the third or fourth pcmsecutive •jrear. It is going to be a sell-out so get your tickets in advance reheyYe cheaper that vay too). Friilay, June llth and Saturday, June 12th we axe staging ace freak David Aliens lex Gong, Soft Machine) first UK Concerts since his split with Gong and subsequent nine month holicla,y in Majorca. It's going to be 'good, even legendary. A well known, well rounded Welshperson said of Gong's last gig at LSE; ""The Atmosphere smashed mc as socm as I v^-alked into the theatre", and he w?sn't referring to the ecstatic reaction because it was long before the band got it together to drift into the spyaces of the stage. A couple more possibilities foi the end of term are Widowraaker, Steve Ellis' (ex liove Affair) new band which appears to be taking L off, and Barry Melton from Los }| Angeles. Do I hear a ripple ot I approval from the masses? i The infamous Mr Chris Hall has recently graduated to our lighting and ladies underwear department and we have a great new celebrity Disoo manager/DJ called Paul; in" addition the disco has been overhauled and it's still only £8 per week. See you all soon. MIKE STUB6S Ents. Committer MUD — who are not appearing at LSE. r BEAVER, April 27th. 197S—Page Eleven REVIEWS C0/HINe S0€N AJ ISC riL/H§€C <» • i» Tuesday, April 27th — SPECIAL DOUBLE PRESENTATION (see below) Thursday, April 29th — The Multese Falcon. Tuesday, May 4th — Captain Blood. Thursday, May 6th — The Italian Job. Tuesday, May Uth — California Split. Thursday, May 13th — Planet of the Apes. Tuesday. May 18th — Man called Horse. Thursday, May 20th — Rocco and his brothers. SPECIAL DOUBLE PRESENTATION — TUESDAY, APRIL 27th; THE STING, 5^-7.40 and - THE EXORCIST, 8.10. Doors open 5 ptn and a very large audience is expected for this truly great double bill of two highly influential modem films. A sma!: charge for members at this special presentation has been necessitated by the enonnous costs of staging this tremendous show. Members .................. lOp Non - members ......... 30p FILMSOC IN 77 IF you thought that this year's season was good, then wait till you see what we have arranged Hor ne.xt year . . . We have a really spectacular programme lined up, which those who have seen details, rate as easily the best modem season in London, if not in the whole of the UK. Films to be shown span the whole breadth of modem cinema from "RoUerball" to "The Enigma of Kasper Hauser," including such diwrse pictures as 'Tommy," "Alice Doesnt Live Here," "Chinatown" and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." We are retaining our regular Tuesday and Thursday evening spots but we are adding a special new season of big box office hits on Wednesday dinnertimes during the Spring term. Other seasons include a Walter Matteau retrospective and Russell-as-director season. We will be presenting several double bill evenings and most presentations will include a support programme of cartoons or pictorials. Membership will open at the beginning of next term, when a fully illustrated booklet will be available giving full details of all future presentations. However it will still cost you less to see over 80 top films at LSE fllmsoc, than it would to see two films in the West End since by special block booking with film distributors, we have managed to fix membership at a mere £2. PAUL BROWN CHAIRMAN, FILMSOC Hessotericism STEPPENWOLF is for you and for me. It is for the people Freud dissected, the people to whom Hesse gives very different advice, that of neo-mysticism. The Wolfman is Harry Haller, the misanthrope, the opium-taker who wants on his fiftieth birthday to play the supreme joke, but he is about to learn that there are better jokes to play. He meets Hermine (Dominique Sanda) a Master any Adept would be proud to be led by. who teils him that he will be saved by sex and obedience. Although Harrj- (played by Max Von Sydow) is a George C. Scott in appeai'ance. his timid passivity makes him enter her compulsive world ; but then who wouldn't. Hermine is for me one of those very rare prostitutes: non-vicious and motherly—and she knows everything about him. Koestlerian synchronicity abounds throughout the film: on the night of his proposed suicide, she gives him a glistening knife to defend himself against prowlers. This provocation succeeds; he is caught in her net. They know all about him, Hennine and the people of the Magic Theatre—"Entrance not for eveiTone ; for madmen only." His Wolfman's dual hfe (note the Freudian slip) is recounted in their all-knowing book, "Treatise on the Steppenwolf." He meets Pablo, a Queen who shows him drugs and Maria who unlocks his defences in bed. The pity is that it is the average Maria—why not the Master herself. At any rate he discovers "divine decadence"—pleasure. The rest of his salvation is difficult to understand. He is led at last into the Magic Theatre itself, a hall of psychedelikaleidoscopic mirrore whicli show him what he is and the vista of what he could be. Then comes denouement; you don't understand it. He knifes naked, small-arsed Dominique Sanda (she told him he v.-ould have to) and finds himself, after a test teaching him how to laugh, admitted into a Heaven. This is unconvincing: too much like Peter O'Toole in "The Ruling Class" ("just call me J.C."). O.K. So Harry Heller is now humanised. The trip was interesting, but often pretentious. The idea seemed to lack staying power at times when it lapsed into cryptic self-importance; too Wagnerian, but cheap Wagnerian, because the real W. and his Fausts don't lack subtlety or power. At the same time the Wagner fanatics will regret that there were only two or three snatches of Tristan. Steppenwolf is Hesse at murkiest. Suitable for Germans and those who swing between Boredom and Heaven. Eccentric Anglo-Saxons, too. might find something to enjoy. For those still interested, Steppenwolf is being shown at the Paris Pullman. JOHN ZYLINSKI. it Shouldn't Happen to a Vet on at various cinemas T WAS sure that "It Shouldn't ii.»ppen to a Vet" was a re-release of a Disney wild-life adventure set in the North Yorkshire of 1938. It turned out. of course to be a 70mm Yorkist answer to Doctor Pinlay's Ci;--,'-Book. The difference being ilr.it Doctor Finlay's counterpart w s a sturdy veterinary sur-2 0;;, J.imes Herriot played by Jo; II .-Mderton. To be fair, how-e.oi-, this was only how it seemed i!i first light. The film portrays J.iiiios Koriiot's actual experiences ¦"!=; nvorded in liis diaries and sub-soqiiently published in book form; little mishaps, like one dog drink-ir.g poison and another being seriously run down, all merge into an .-locurate portrayal of country life in Yorkshire as it was then on the brink ot drastic social change. John .\Uerton"5 Humberside background stands him in good stead for bringing out the typical, rugged Yorkshire humour. Herriot's co-practitioner Siegfried, is National Theatre Player. Colin Blakely, whoso paternal concern is mixed with the hardy convictions of his age. Herriofs wife, played by Lisa Hirrow, is too good to be true, beaming a coinplexion of country vitality. Apart from the intrusion of the outbreak of war at the end of the film, there is very little indication of the turbulent outside world. The film represents pure nostalgic, celu-loid entertainment (for the family, dare I say it!); even the unavoidable, final advent of the war is not brought to a head by any tragic call-up of James into the army. This was no doubt included in the diaries and yet at some point in his dr.Tmatisation, Alan Plater chose to bring the film to a close prevrnf'^T the dilemm... of a choice between authenticity and pleasing the audience. He chose in the :vf'' 'o ! ave us wondering about James' promising marriage and •¦:arc:>r, \vh>h i.' usually the best w:*y. SIMON MARKS The Personal Distribution of Income Edited by A. B. Atkinson THIS book is a collection of essays first presented at a specialist conference of the Royal Economic Society and contains not only a summarj- of previous '•theories", but also provides a synthesis of current research. The ten main papers are each supplemented by two shorter discussion papers on each, and hence with thirty economists wTitlng, many of them distinguished, and drawn from an international field (though all from Western Europe), a wide range of views is represented. The emphasis in most of the articles—almost the common theme of the collection—Is on the importance of personal factors as the major determinant in income distribution. The first article by H. F. Lydall sets the dominant tone, whfen. in discussing theories of the distribution of income, he concludes that the multi-factor theory, as opposed to the stochastic or the "human-capital" approach, is the "most fruitful". He is, however. careful to point out that this in no way limits the possibility for re-distributive action; rather, by influencing education, industrial organisation. and so on, policy decisions may be effected, and, hopefully differences in both productive abilities and earnings brought int» line with what is economically efficient. The following articles take up various aspects of the multi-factoi»: approach, though one article, by Mincer, does return to the humaa-capital theory. Some space is also devoted to developments in statistical anal.vsis, and to discussion of redistribution, both in theory an lofty inteilectualism of it all. one cannot help feeling that a le6s inhuntan approach might be mar; constructive. N.T. TIMELESS FLIGHT STEVE HARLEY & COCKNEY REBEL: ALTHOUGH different in c'naracter from "Best Years of Our Lives", this album seems to follow on naturally. One senses that Harley has reached a crossroads and is taking stock on a verj- personal level. From anyone else the lyrics would sound over-sentimental, but Harley retains his punchy mtisical style and decadent pronunciation. and hence avoids becoming maudlin. The technical and musical quality is far improved, with a beautiful expansive piano break in "Understand", and haunting phrases in "Red is a mean mean colour" and "AH Men Ai^e Hungry". Musically, I prefer Side One. espe- PAST POP ONE can't help shedding a tear over the recent news that two doyen* of the popular nmsic scene are retiring into oblivion. Firstly that crushing blow dealt so swiftly when we heard with tear-ridden eyes of the departure of Alan Longmuir from the Rollers. Alati. brother of Derek, is to be replaced by a 17-year-old lad whose name nobody seems fo know. We phoned up Bell Records who release Roller recordi but they would not answer the phone. Then we tried Capital Radio, but' th?ir only offering was that he was called Ian something;. The Beeli dii not know, nor did the pop dept of HMV shop in Oxford Street. Come back Alan, -at least we knew your name . . . The other sad revelation was the passing of good old Gaiy (jlitter. Last Saturday ITV showed the last Gary Goodbye concert from the New Victoria, it brought tears to my eyes as Gary made his final bow exhibiting his own genuine brand of loyalty to his fans and threw them h;3 bouquets of flowers. Don't worry Garry, all that Glitters is not necessarily gold . . . P.B cially "All Men Are Hungry" and "Understand". When it comes l>Tics, however, it becomes mucti harder to decide on a favourite— the whole album is so thoughtful as Harley looks back over his life (he couldn't walk until he was eleven due to polio) and realises that all men have their ow.i cross to bear . . . "Was in a frenzy frci'i the midnight air when I sav.- the light I realised only chi!dr?n can liva- upon a Timeless Flignt . . . All the men are nun^rj-. All the men are in searcli oi tirnj . . " If you're a Harley t.ui, or you tliink that Cockney Reoel is tetny-bop material, listen to this alotan MICHELLE DODO BKAVHR. April 27th. 1976—Page Twelve PLANNERS' DREAM LIVING in London, and never been to "Dockland"? Hardly surprising—there is very little reason to do so at present. In fact, most of the traffic seems to be going in the opposite direction. In the five years between 1966 and 1971, 18 per cent of the population left Tower Hamlets, 14 per cent left Southwark and 9 per cent left Newham. Alongside the closure of the docks (the East India Docks. St. Katherine Docks. London Docks and Surrey Docks have all ceased functioning), there has been a steady dwindling of manufacturing jobs. Less employment, abandoned warehouses, a mass of dereliction and corrugated iron—a recipe for vandalism. And on the other hand, a crying need for housing, schOQls, transport, open spaces. In an area which was built up largely before 1914, the social facilities are inevitably small, while the rapidly declining condition of the housing has caused demolitions to cancel out the benefits of the current new building programmes. There are 5,500 acres of dockland, four-fifths of which are owned by some kind of public authority, and the entire area falls within five GLC boroughs — Tower Hamlets. Newham, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich. With 1,500 acres of land lying idle. 8,000 unemployed, and deteriorating social facilities, small wonder that the GLC has finally been galvanised into action. The result is a planners' paradise. At the beginning of April, the Docklands Joint Committee produced its draft report which broadly suggested:— (1) A new tube line, to help reduce the current congestion on the roads, to cater for the project-ed increase in office workers coming Into the area, and to supplement the appalling bus service: • 2) The creation of four centres f A T T 'O 0 ! N G Developing London's depressed region beckton North Woolwich Line Proposad River Line tube CUSTOM HOUSC til the tower W0st tnd$»/ Miltwstt D^ks greenwich pentnsula Eftsi Londor> lkm mH Existing restdef>ti«i I I proposed resig stations Proposed stations- DYING INDUSTRIES! of industrial development, hopefully creating 40,000 jobs by the end of the 1980s, and including a trade mart to be built in the Surrey Docks, alone providing 12,000 jobs; (3) The building of over 20,000 new dwellings, with equity-sharing as a major type of tenure; (4) The development of five"shopping centres; (5) and all the other prerequisites of enlightened planning—from new schools to recreation grounds and allotments. It sounds splendid, but w-iU it ever exist? It is a case of "He who pays the piper calls the tune"—to which one might add that if no-one pays, there is presumably no tune. Besides £1,200 million of public money, about £300 million private investment will be needed. However, if private capital is to flow into the area, this means that land will have to be given over to office building; hence, if housing etc. is to remain a priority, it is essential that the public money is also to be forthcoming. Originally, it was hoped that the Government would foot a large proportion of the bill. As this becomes increasingly unlikely. Dockland will, it seems, be forced to fight for a larger share of the GLC budget— to the detriment of other areas, or another increase in rates? F*urther, it would seem that private investment is reluctant, at least until local government has provided a minimum of social capital. Already Trammel Crow, an American property company, has been given planning permission for the building of the trade mart but cannot raise the capital. The proposed River Line is particularly dubious; the Department of the Environment is extremely wary of the idea, and the GLC can certainly not afford the cost from its current transport budget. The second problem is perhaps still more crucial: the strategy's "job creation" proposals are essentially a medium-term plan, with the majority of jobs only becoming available after 1986. This provides neither the immediate action re- quired to halt the current exodus of firms and younger members of the population, nor does it come to grips with the structural decline of docking itself. The present recession may be a temporary depressant but, in the face of increased competition, it is hard to see the London Docks as "flourishing and viable" imtil 1985-90, particularly since the Port of London Authority plans to close its docks on the Isle of Dogs later this year. F^irther, the committee makes no suggestions about the fraught question of containerisation. Land is another problem. The plan foresees 2,700 acres becoming available for development. However, already the British Gas Corporation, owner of most of the land on the Greenwich peninsula and at Beckton, has made it clear that they will release less than half of the amount estimated in the plan. Meanwhile, six weeks ago, Tower Hamlets, a proposed residential area, leased 23 acres of their land to a property company for industrial development. Even the new social facilities' are not entirely uncontroversial. The Joint Docklands Action Group, formed and composed of people living in the area, fear that "equity-shared" housing, "with prices likely to be around £20.000, will permit few people in the Dockland boroughs to afford the new houses. Thus richer people from outside the area will tend to benefit.'' The planners, on the other hand, point to the scheme's success in Birmingham. An attempt to gauge residents' opinions is being made by circulating a questionnaire, and holding a series of public meetings. There is also a mobile exhibition, and copies of the strategy are available from the DDC's offices—though their willingness to part with them leaves more than a little to be desired. Perhaps the ultimate danger is that bickering between councils will leave the strategj- collecting dust on some bureaucrat's book-shelf. But that is a danger no plan can avoid. ,H.T. BEAVER BINGE Caught by the insidious camera of Mary Butterworth are various members of the LSE who ensured that each and every issue of the Beaver came out according to schedule. Others who popped in to help included Lesly, Mac, Shelley, Gilly, Munja, Mary S, Achmed, Julian and Brutus. May we also take this opportunity to thank all those who complained or crfticised the newspaper in one way or another but couldn't find the time to do anything constructive about it. From left to right—Richard Blackett, Michael Cleary, Mungo Deans (Publications Officer), Anton Chapman (next year's Editor), Sheree Dodd (Editor). David Lowry, Nicki Tait, Peacock and Paul Brown. (Clare Lynch and the inebriated Michael Fisher also present) \VHEN*as-a Pi'ison Commissioner I visited Jamaica some 21 years ago, the fact that I had been at the LSE was one of three keys w-hich opened practically every door. (The other two were Crime and Quakerism. but that is another story!). We do not have to be loi-kg at the LSE, whether as students or stafif, to realise that the right to enter those glass doors in- Houghton Street makes us at once members of a world-wide fellowship. The LSE Society exists to deepen that fellowship and to enable its members the more easily to maintain contact wherever they may be, be it Boston Lines or Boston Mass, Hong Kong or Nairobi, Upper Tooting or Singapore. The Magazine is one simple means of maintaining this contact, and members receive their copies free twice a year. For those resident in Great Britain there is an annual dinner at which, for example, tl^ guest of honour this year will be Sir Huw Wheldon, former student, chairman of the Court of Goveir-nors. In addition, the Society organises each years a Special Lecture, given by a distinguished speaker who has had some connection with the School: two years ago the special lecturer was the Director, last year it was Baroness 'Wootton and this year, on October 13th, it will be Sir Douglas Allen, the Head of the Civil Service and a graduate of the School. His subject will be of particular interest —the relation of Ministers and the Civil Service. Prom time to time there are also Departmental Days, usually on a Satui-day. All of these eyents are of a kind where husband or wife, girl friend or boy friend, would be most welcome and where they might be interested in meeting their partner's contemporaries. The Society is currently building up a panel from its own members of those willing to give advice on careers, in co-operation with the School's own advisory service. Membership of the Society also confers certain privileges in the use of the School's facilities, including the use of the Library upon application to the Librarian. On the more light-hearted side there are the football and cricket clubs run in association with the Society, and plans are being made to hold a "river-shuffle" this July! How docs one join? Membership is open to all past students who have been members of the Students' Union for not less than one session and it is also open to current and former members of both the academic and administrative staff. Free membership for two years is available to all newly-qualified graduates provided they join within six months of graduation. A Life Subscription (inflation-proof!) costs £15 and the annual subscription is £4. Applications may be made to the Honorary Secretary. The LSE Society, at the School, and forms are available from Shirley Chapman in Room H412. Why not join and so keep in tcuch with old friends and the School in the years to come? DUNCAN FAIRN Fitzrovia '76 To all students: Will you be free on Saturday, June 5th? Would you like to do something extremely silly to escape from the overpowering drudge of exams (not suicide) ? If so, the Fitzrovia Festival is the ideal solution. The Festival is the largest of the London street festivals and is held annually around the Tottenham Court Road-Char-lotte-Fitzroy Street area. It is run by local inhabitants primarily for the enjoyment of local inhabitants although it never fails to draw enormous crowds from all round London and amass large profits which are donated to local charities. There is to be an enormous spectrum of entertainment ranging from heavy rock bands to Morris dancers, fire-eating acts and a real ale tent. Students are urgently needed to run silly sideshow^s like Stabbing Count Dracula, identifying the real Peter Hain or throwing rotten fruit at full-size models of John Stonehouse. If that doesn't appeal how about organising a futile escapade like dressing up as a doctor complete with 6ft syringe and chasing passers-by down Tottenham Court Road? If you like the idea contact Paul Brown, Social Sec., at Carr-Saun-ders, per the Beaver, or through the Film Society. P.S.: Tape-recording expert urgently required ... to master a tape for one performer and guitar needed to make a special 6i-m;nute charity EP record. Must own high-quality 7i-ips or preferably 15-ips full track equip? ment and be conversant with technical jargon. Spanish teach-in ON May 8th (Saturday) L.S.E. will hold a teach-in on the situation in Spain. Spanish and Portugese speakers will attend as part of a nationwide tour. The speakei"s will include Jorges Mota Prago (who is a representative of the Portugese papers A Batalka and Acc Ao Dircita) and Teresa Silva (representative of the Portugese section of the F.A.I.). Also at the teach-in will be Garcia Calvo, who was a lecturfer at Madrid University and got involved in the student demonstrations of 1968. These demonstrations were led by the Acrata movement, which literally means "no leaders." Garcia Calvo now teaches in Paris. Also there will be Jose Peirats (F.A.I./C.N.T. veteran and historian who worked with the Republican Generalitat), and Ocatavio Alberola (son of a murdered (T.N.T. militant). It's possible that the last speaker mentioned above might not be able to attend as the French police think he kidnapped a banker and kidnapping carries a death penalty in France! He is associated with the May 1st Group, whose exploits include kidnapping the Spanish Ambassador to the Vatican, bombing Iberian airline planes and machine-gunning the Spanish Embassy in London. They were also associated with the Ajigry Brigade. Long Live Anarchy! Printed by Ripley Printers Ltd., Ripley, Derby. Published by London School of Economics and PoUtlcal Science. Students' Onion, St. Clement's Buildings, Claremarket, London, WC2A 2AE.