GO SLOW r Introducing'joan 1 Introducing a new friendly face at Ftorries . ¦ ¦ the new manageress, Joan Franks. Flor-ries means a complete change of scene for Joan, who used to work in the NAAFI. However, she says that ishe is looking forward to working with students and is quite pleased with the arrangements in Florries. She also welcomes any suggestions from the Students' Union to improve and add variety to the service. We are sure that all Florries regulars will join us at Beaver in wishing Joan a happy and successful time at LSE. Univs exploit I I I I I J Eent Act loophole THOUSANDS of students are being forced to live outside the protection of the Rent Acts because educational establishments ara exploiting a loophole in the law. This is the main conclusion of an article in the latest issue of ROOF, the bi-monthly housing magazine published by Shelter. "Head tenancy schemes" is the innocuous title for a dodge which allows private landlords to let flats to students via universities and colleges (the head tenants) and thereby exempt the lettings from the Rent Acts. SHARES School drags its feet over disinvestment THE LSE campaign for disinvestment seems to have reached a stalemate, according to student representatives on School Committees. Some £252,000 of LSE's money is known to be invested in British companies with South African subsidiaries. The question of disinvestment, which has been raised on several School committees, has not yet received a conclusive vote either way and the School committees involved seem reluctant to commit themselves. LSE shareholdings in companies with South African interests have long concerned students at LSE. The first disinvestment campaign, which began at the end of the 1960s, was highly successful and achieved its aim of persuading LSE to sell off shares in South African companies. The School, however, refused to admit that it had disinvested and remains reticent to comment on its past actions. It has been suggested that the reluctance to refer to earlier disinvestment indicates that it resulted in no harm to the School's interests. The present campaign, which began some 18 months ago with a motion to the Union, is an attempt to get LSE to disinvest from British companies with South African subsidiaries. The early stages of the campaign involved a good deal of research and consultation with the Anti-Apartheid Movement, but at the beginning of the year the Disinvestment Action Committee felt confident to present its case. At the meeting of the General Purposes Commitee held on 18th January 1978, John McColl Originally the exemption was included in the Rent Act 1974 to prevent students living in halls of residence from acquiring security of tenure. It is now being extended by 17 kno'^'l'n universities and many polytechnics t6 attract landlords who wish to speculate in res flential property by letting WARNING Be very careful before you part with any money around LSE this week. University new students' week have unfortunately become th haunt of unscrupulous sales people. Watch particularly for:— Insurance salespeople—as student you are unlikely to bene fit from life insurance and sev era! reputable firms have goo student personal belongings in surance plans. Salespeople trying to se Countdown cards. You can bu a student version of this car wKh National Student DIscoun marked on the reverse side o the card from the Union for fa below the normal price. students. The educational establishment takes on the tenancy from the landlord and sublets to the students. Because the establishment is exempt from the Ac^: the student loses his security of tenure, loses the right to have a fair rent registered, is often committed to six months or a year's rent, and will be forced to leave the accommodation at the end of the lease whether he or she wants to or not. Three polys in London, the Central, City and North London, even use an outside agent, Hyams and Co., who acts as a middle man between landlords and educational institutions. The agent takes a 10 per cent fee for operating the scheme. Edinburgh continues to use such a scheme despite complaints from CABs and other colleges that it is cornering the market. The 17 universities known to be operating these schemes are: Edinburgh, Bangor, Birmingham, Brunei, Kent, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Salford, Sheffield, Southampton, Sussex, Warwick, Aberdeen, Heriot - Watt. Finance fears UNION finances are likely to be extremely tight this year according to the first draft budget to come from the Senior Treasurer's office. Although last year the union was able to negotiate a rise in excess of the government's guidelines it will still be too little to enable the union to provide the sort of resources for its students that other colleges in London enjoy. The money coming into the union seems likely to amount to around £100,000 which is not a lot as it is almost all absorbed in fixed costs which include the Athletic Union, Staff, NUS Affiliation, Welfare admin and Maintenance, leaving only £11,000 for Beaver, Entertainments, Societies and Committees. Why has this problem arisen yet again ? The major reason seems to be one of long term commitments entered into many years ago that have crippled the union's development. There are three major areas where this has occurred to the detriment of other sections of union expenditure. First, the union staff wage bill occupies over a third of the budget. Secondly, we are providing costly services that are the School's responsibility — for example £6,000 on subsidising eight nursery places and over £5,000 on rebating tuition fees. And finally there is a general lack of administrative efficiency within the union leading to wasted resources and money. All these things occurred a good few years ago but the effects are only now beginning to show. Julian Ingram believes that the Union needs a good clear-out and a fresh approach, and his view is shared by the other sabbaticals. Julian feels that if their attempts fail it is likely that the Union will stumble into greater problems in the near future, as some officers and staff have intimated that they would not be prepared to carry on. (student representative) tabled '"The case for disinvestment", a report detailed by the student Disinvestment Action Committee. The question of disinvestment split the GPC down the middle and with one student representative absent the eventual vote was ten for and ten against disinvestment. The whole discussion was then submitted to the Academic Board. Emma Hamilton - Brown, Senior Administration Officer to the Union, points out that this was rather unusual. Normally reference of a discussion to another committee would be a •general one, which would not have shown the detailed debate. The reaction of the Academic Board, which has no student representation, appears to have been that disinvestment is not a relevant issue to LSE as an educational institution. Some members of the Board felt that .disinvestment raised the question of where LSE should stop —that there might be an equal case for disinvestment from companies involved in the Eastern bloc. The Board took no vote on the matter, preferring to refer the issues raised to the Standing Committee of the Court of Governors. On July 6th the Court of Governors turned to the matter of disinvestment and a variety of views were expressed. (Continued on Back Page, column 5). CONTENTS BACK PAGE ; Scandal of Business History Unit— BEAVER EXCLUSIVE. PAGE 3: Anarchists in Brixton Prison — FEATURE. <; PAGES 4 & 5: Events around LSE PAGE 6: Your guide to Entertainment in London. c NEWSPAPER OF THE LSE 3rd OCT, 1978 ISSUE No. 172 PAGE 2 WILL'S WELCOME THIS is in tlie nature of a printed fireside chat, so if. you're reading tliis on your feet, save it till you can sit down. The Tuns or Florries would be ideal. Welcome to the LSE. and speciflcaHj', welcome to the Students' Union. Almost every bit of paper the School throws at you over this week will contain a blurb which we have taken great trouble to insert. Nonetlieless. most of you won't i-ead it. Some time during the second or third term one of the Union Executive ivill explode or resign, or both, as a result of an innocent remark along the general lines of "Vou mean we run Fior-Ties?" ' The answer, of course, Is that we -do. The low prices around the St Clement's Building are not the result of the School's generosity, but of our efficiency. And now we pass on to the jointly fascinating subjects of semantics and alienation. When I say "our erficiency", I am not acting as spokesman for a ,?roup which you imagine as being somehow behind me, I am simply explaining to you that- the person who rolled up this week to collect your admission card, is a; member of the group. This is a vital point. Although the Union was here before you and will—touch 7,"ood—be here after you (and me), it did not spring fully fledged from the mouth o: Tariq All, It was created, and is continually recreated, by students, for students, and with students' money, i.Soine like to call it taxpavers' money, but thai is in the nature of professional jargon—they pay for the upkeep of the family who own the Royal Minti. This brings me to one of the most important points of all. Your LSE fees include £31 Students' Union membership and I'll bet you never felt a tiiinj:. That fee mates you a member of the Union, You stay a member whatever your politics, whatever your interests, whichever aai- you drinL-c Ui. and wdiether or not you like it. So the removal of the £31 from yjar pocket was not a simple theft: you did it yourself in common with about 3i thousand co-conspirators. Do remember to come and help decide how it is spent. Welcome, look after yourself and have a vei-y good time, I hope I'll see you around (the mugshot should help you to recognise me). " If you have any problems, remember that you're paying about ten of us to help you solve them. If you have one-tenth as good a time at LSE as I've. had over the past few years, you'll have picked up the best bargain in London, WILL RlCHAiRDSON General Secretary. Beaver needs you "Only blockheails will write for reasons other than money."—Dr Johnsun. Beauer urgently needs block--heads. BEAVER is I'un by a collective, ft'hioii consists of the people who get each issue out. i This year Carol Saunders and Ed Walker are joint editors. In practice, this means they do most of the co-ordination. But in order to carry out this function, they tieel something to c-o-ordinate, and this is where iws hops) you come iti. Beaver requires many things. Most, important of all. it needs good quality material to publish. Note the words "good quality" carefully. NOT dreary, long-winded, cliche-ridden, hackneyed diatribes which .are as unreadable as c'ne worst excesses of the London .Student Movement's wretched rag (the LSM, for the uninformed, is a loony left fringe group). Remember, we do actually want people to read Beaver, rather thati use it to wrap their fish and chips in; in order to persuade them to do the former rather than the latter we need articles which -are literate, to the point, and of interest to at least some students here. We also need help for the more practical aspects of production; typing and layout. Please don't be put oft if you have no experience in these, because most people- don't when they start on Beaver, It's surprising how quickly you can master the various skills—and yes, it can be fun, as Ed, Carol and I will readily testify when bribed sufficiently. Finally, there are a couple of services which Beaver provides because they are considered to be of benefit to students. Firstly, the Beaver Dally News, which tells people what is going on in and around LSE, In oi-der to get it out five days a week we need more, volunteers. Secondly, the Student Paper Distribution; Scheme—see ''College Collage", Beaver will be holding an open meeting at 1 pm on Wednesday 4;h October in S116 (by the way, all our meetings are open!) so if you feel you have anything to contribute on any matter whatsoever—from' photos to feature articles, from book reviews to layout; —please drop In. More important, persist and don't be shy of making any criticisms, provided they're constructive (i.e., don't criticise ME!). Even with limited resources, Beaver can be further improved with your help. Jame.s Gaussen Peoples'news service PEOPLE'S News Service, the alternative news collective, celebrated its 150th issue on July 4th by changing its format from a duplicated news sheet to a professionally printed offset litho newspaper. The PNS, which is printed fortnightly, has, during its five years of existence, provided a high quality alternative news source which aims to cover areas ignored by the conventional press. In contact with many community newspapers at home and abroad, PNS acts as a national focus for community news. Alternatively PNS has also been able to provide information to groups outside London through its extensive use of public libraries and its own growin.g files. In a recent publicity leaflet the collective expresses its. need for interested people to join in the various areas of its work. Those who are .merely in.-, terested in PNS as a newspaper can obtain it from most alternative bookshops for 25p an issue. Subscription rates are also available at £2.50 for ten and £12.00 for fifty issues. Cheques or postal orders, made payable to "Peoples' News Sei'-vice" should be sent to 182 Upper St., LONDON Ni, carol saunders correspondent From ex-Governor Fell (Ret'd) DEAR ALL.—It will come as no surprise to you that it was with a profound sense of shock that I heard, as the last rays of the summer sun gleamed over Amsterdam dock, of the arrest of Jeremy Thorpe, A lesson to us all! I seem to remember that, as Bill used to say, "In my salad days when he (Rog) was green in judgment and hot in blood", he used, "on occasion, to threaten to kill me. However, I do not dwell on this matter as the last thing I should want to do is to ci-eate a national scandal. As you will have gathered, I -write this missive from Amsterdam where I have spent the last week. Prior to this I was in Paris for a week—watched the Bastille Day parade with Valery who sat a little away from me and left before I could grant an audience. Then two most enjoyable weeks In Brussels indulging, amongst other things, in waffles and chocolates, then to Luxembourg which is picturesque but little else. Then a very short visit to Germany, I was so overcome with a feeling of war guilt—seeing all those people who looked over fifty and thinking, "Yes—you must have helped Adolf in," Regrettably one finds many of the peasantry from our ex-colony. The "Plato to NATO'' run through European culture which they get in their "schools" leaves them devoid of any appreciation for anything here—except perhaps the Herald Tribune. One nevertheless continues to bear up to the strain. Mindful of the fact that the Oxford Professorship of Poetry seems to have been passed over I am not despondent as I gather 115 gentlemen will be meeting shortly in Rome. It seems to me an anarchist Pope would be ideally suited to the latter half of the 20th century. I must- go to the Righsmuseum to watch all the kiddies plaster themselves in icecream as they gawp at Rembrandt's "Night-watch". In the immortal words of J. Gaussen (no relation), "Keep your doobrles upright." Yours. Bruce THIS column will normally contain snippets of news from colleges around the country and one in Northern Ireland. • Last year the Beaver Collective launched the highly successful Student Paper Distribution Scheme. The thirty-odd colleges in this scheme (and, to quote James Gaussen, "some of them are very odd indeed") send us thirty copies of each issue of their student union paper. We tlien act as a sorting office, sending one copy of each paper we receive to each college in the scheme. This helps greatly the exchange of news and views between colleges throughout the country. This scheme, which is part union financed and part financed through voluntary contributions from participating colleges, takes quite a bit of work—one afternoon every week. We (or rather James, who did most of the work last year) are therefore appealing for two people to help with—or better still take over—the scheme this year. We would very much like to extend the scheme to fifty papers this year. carol saunders ALL GAUSSEN GAITERS THIS column would like to extend a warm welcome to all its new readers, and wish them many long and happy years at LSE. It would also like to give a helpful tip about how to achieve success, maturity and (wait for it) a fulfilling sex-life during your stay here. What is this tip? Simply this : Always . read this column. No doubt some idle gossipers, cynics and Stony Hearts will interpret this as an, egotist desperately trying to plug his worthless product. Ignore such spiteful " tittle-tattle. Why read this column ? Because it is the column that Top People read. (It is a well-known secret that R. Dahren-dorf, no less, peruses it over his kipper 'n" custard surprise). Packed full of information, spicy titbits, helpful hints and thoroughgoing analysis of everything under the sun, it is the column that has something for everyone. Above all, it is your column. Send us something worthwhile and, who knows, it may well find itself in the wastepaper bin. Or not, as the case may be. If you want to keep up with all that is going on in the complex world of LSE politics, this column is a must. Order one from your newsagent today. You'll never regret it. ADVERTISEMENT Sleep, SO'scientists tell us, is an almost universal addiction among the human race today. And a deadly addiction at that. For, statistics reveal, 99.9 per cent of people who sleep die under the age of 120. Now this column, always eager to help, offers a remedy: LSE Halls of Residence, For as little as £25 a week, these delightful places will ensure that you need never sleep again. Just some of the therapeutic treatment involved includes non-stop banging and crashing from above ; constant blaring of muzak from all sides ; beds abundant with lice and friendly creepy-crawlies to keep you company through the night; and the' continued yelling and screaming of various demented neo-hooligan-ettes (who sometimes describe themselves as "students") throughout the night. Yes, folks, with LSE Halls of Residence you need never worry about sleeping again. Hurry, hurry while stocks last! James Gaussen iiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiMitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiimi STUDENT VOLUNTEER FLAG SELLEiRS are badly needed in Central London for annual flag day of the Multiple Sclerosis Society on Saturday, October 14th. The flag day will operate from five centrally-located bases. If you can give any time, please telephone Mrs Leaf at 262-4686 or at HQ, 834-8231, or write directly to Mrs Leaf at the MS Society, Freepost 64, 4 Tachbroolc Street, London, SWl'V ISJ. MS is the most common neurological disease of the young adult, usually striking in the 20s and 30s. It takes its toll in halting careers and breaking up families, sO' we appeal for help from young people who' are the most vulnerable. There are many more than 50,000 sufferers in the UK alone. Unfortunately, even in the Silver Jubilee anniversary of the Society, neither a cure nor the cause of this devastating illness has been found, although much progress has been made recently. llillillillllillllllilililllllllllillliliHiililliiiHllllilllilllllilHlilililiiiimiiiT PAGE 3 vmcH SIX anarchists fRonan Bennett, Iris MiMs, TaR Ladd, Stewart (Barr, Vince Stevenson and Trevor Dawton) are being tteld in Brixton prison on charges of "conspiracy to cause explosion^f with ffersons unknown." ? No evidence has been offered. ^ No explosions have occurred. Bail has been consistently refused. ¦k Iris Mills, being the only woman prisoner in Brixlon, is therefore in virtual solitary confinement. The whole affair can only be regarded as an attempt to criminalise certain political beliefs and to retain and extend the }>owers of the political police. "The campaign against the Anarchist movement coincides with questions asked by Robin Cook MP about the role of the political IBOlice in Britain. These concern the Special Branch and the Anti-Terrorist Squad. It has been proposed to reduce the size of the ATS from 200 to 30. So the ATS has found it necessary to justify its existence in order to retain its extensive powers. But since there is no effective resistance movement in Britain (outside Ireland) anywhere comparable to the RAP or Red Brigades the ATS has found it necessary to create one. "Who better to pick on than the Anarchists? They have been picked on precisely because the British Anarchist movement is at present too weak to organise any effective resistance. Also the Anarchists are unlikely to win support from other "left-wing" groups, who would do exactly the same to the Anarchists (although perhaps more efficiently) if they were running the State. Thirdly, a public which has been made to believe that there is a terrorist on every street corner will hardly fail to swallow another dose of anti-tei"-rorist hysteria especially given the popular image of Anarchists as mere bomb-throwing lunatics. However, since the days immediately following the. arrest of Iris Mills and Ronan Bennett, the press appears to have found Commander Neville's case so flimsy that it has left well alone. The "bomb material seized in the hunt for anar-chists". turned out to be no more than weedkiller and wiring. How many people, one wonders, do not have such material in their homes? Biit it seems nothing can stop the zeal of the police terror squads. It appears that any association with the Anarchist movement is reasonable grounds for having your house broken into, your possessions searched, and having address books and photograph albums stolen. Taff Ladd was the next to be an-ested. and all three were charged with "conspiracy to cause explosions with persons unknown". Inspector ' Bradbury, the Squad's "leading authority" on Anarchism (Kropotkin is his favourite bedside reading* explained away the fact that there had been no explosions by sajVng "We nipped the bomb making plans in the bud". On the 6th. 7th and 8th of June, the police raided and searched three addi'esses. The occupants were questioned on their politics, local anarchists. and friends. Fingerprints were taken and in one interview the police appealed to a person's "true British spirit" and The Library then and now "THE acquisition of Strand House will be the most important single event in the School's ievelopment" claimed Sir Walter Adams, ex-director of LSE, in 1973. The British Library of Political and Economic Science, one of the most famous libraries in the world, was at that time launching its appeal for funds to convert the Strand House warehouse into the brand new library complex that is now in its final stages of completion. Founded by the Webbs in 1896, the year after the foundation of LSE itself, the BLPES was the first library in England to deal with any thoroughness with Political Science. The role of the library was to be a "new laboratory of sociological research" available not only to students at the School but to all with a special interest in its contents. The first library appeal, launched in 1896, led to the building of the Passmore Edwards Hall some four years later, on a small site in Glare Market. This was the library's first proper accommodation and at this time it already contained some 10,000 volumes. Grants from the Treasury and gifts from private and public sources enabled the library to grow rapidly and within months of its foundation the first of a large and continuous inflow of ©fficial papers were being received. The early years also saw the beginnings of the special collections which are now an invaluable part ef the library's resources. The sheer number of volumes owned has consistently been ahead of the library's ability to make them easily accessible. In 1924 the Cobden wing was added to the Passmore Edivards Hall. At the same time the cellars be- i ' M 5 ; ¦\i i. ) I > ...• 1 i \ i.XM .1:] ........ - ^ ^ ii 111 § I, j** : i 1 ill ilbl neath the School were extended to accommodate a larger number of reserve stacks. The building that has been "the Library" to recent LSE students is essentially as it was following the erection of the Main and St Clements Building during, 1931-3.3. The reconstruction of many of the older buildings enabled the library to take up further space. Today the library consists of some 690.000 bound volumes, with a total of between 2.5 to 3 million separate items. It-is believed to be the largest library of, its kind in the world. Used not only by students, at LSE, the library is also of particular importance to governments and to industry and has more than fulfilled the hopes and expectations of its founders. carol saunders. told him certain'key helpers of the Anarchist Black Cross were 'in the pay of Moscow" (Black Flag Vol. V No. 5). Throughout the Summer, members of the Persons Unknown support, group have -been continually harassed, including the arrest of some members outside court during the regular hearings. Vince Stevenson was grabbed o4 his way to a meeting and bundled into a police car by some fifteen officers. Finally Trevor Dawton, a student at NLP was arrested following a raid in which a suitcase containing guns and ammunition was found. Bradbury conceded in court that none of Dawton's fingerprints had been found ori the arms, but added that he "had a pair of gloves when arrested''. A German comrade who came to visit Taif was stopped by eight officers at Gatwick on his way home. He was searched, questioned, and photographed. Against the background of growing international police co-operation, the ATS seems eager to find, or if not manufacture, an "international conspiracy", and Germans are the obvious target. ' All in all, it seems essential to regard the whole series of incidents not merely as an isolated attack on a group of Anarchists • (bad enough in itself). It must also be seen as an attack on the I.eft taken as a whole, involving an important extension of police powers. For example, a Persons Unknown press statement .of 17th August reports a full scale search (using metal detectors' -and sniffer-dogs) of Brixton Prison on the 15th for a four-inch pistol which had allegedly been smuggled in. The 1,000 prisoners were locked in. their cells and strip-searched. Visits were stopped, because, as one visitor was informed some "construction work was iii progress". 'When visiting was resumed, visitors and lawyers were systematically searched with metal detectors. A lawyer commented that in his many years of, visiting clients in prison, nothing similar had been done to him. 'Was the search A.T.S. TERROR CHIEF NEVILLE "constructed" to establish a new police power? Again, at the remand hearing on September 14th the magistrate made an extraordinary decision allowing police to search a briefcase and read controversial defence papers brought into court by counsel for Vince Stevenson. James Saunders. Although Saunders willingly offered to demonstrate that his briefcase contained no concealed objects, the police insisted oil reading the confidential papers. The magistrate ruled "I am perfectly happy with the actions of the police", thus demolishing a well-established privilege. Saunders said afterwards "This is a clear example ol the use of a pretence of security to sabotage a defence case". Two points of glaring irony have stood out during the seventeen remand hearings, during which time there has been no indication of when committal proceedings will be set. One is that on the day when the press liad a field day criticising the Soviet conviction of Orlov and Scharanky, Ronan Bennett's cry from the dock of '.'We are your dissidents" did not merit one column inch of space. Secondly, why were Jeremy Thorpe and his fellow conspirators immediately given bail on a serious charge of conspiracy to murder, whilst the six anarchists have been persistently denied bail; transported backwards and ^forwards between court and prison in small police van compartments at high speed and at great risk of injury; and generally being subjected to demands of security way out of proportion to the case? ED WALKER 'On the move' NOW the old library is vacated, we will be seeing many people scurrying around measuring up offices and staking their claim like the Klondike Gold Rush. The Union, for long on the outskirts of L.S.E. geography, has been offered superb -, palatial ofRces on the seventh floor of the old building. and before, you say where, all you high I.Q. students will have realised that the new, office space is on the periphery yet again. ' What does this mean for your Union? Well, as'usual the majority of you will never go anywhere near it. Also the ser-vices like Flqrries will be placed in positions' that will reduce their trade and threaten their whole existence, After one of the sabbaticals did some research on the matter and realised the gravity of the situa- tion it was requested, that the whole matter be re-opened. That was last year and despite numerous requests no students seemed interested. Now the decisions will have to be taken and it seems likely that the executive will be considering an alternative plan, submitted by the senior treasurer, which involves the Union staying where it is and moving the bar and shop only to the new board room and garage, respectively. Also the Union might well be requesting that the school reconsiders its plan to clo.se down the Robinson room and btjild a new outlet on the corner of Houghton and Clare Market. The whole issue will be brought to a Union meeting in the near future. Julian Ingram (spelling and grammar improved by Beaver Collectl«c) PAGE 4 LONDON VENUES ONCE again I hava exhumed the London School of Economics Guide to London Gigs. Where to see and. it must be added, be seen. It cannot be ctaimed that this is an exhaustive list and it is heavily biased towards rock venues. If you read the music papers regularly or live in London, you'll probably know about them anyway. This guide is merely intended to be a brief took througli ail the obvious places for a good night out. LARGE VENUES THE RAINBOW: Seven Sisters Road, N4. Tube; Plnsbiuy Park. Making a return to major promotions after a summer of prize-fights, Mi- Universe competitions etc. Most people s favourite Big Gig. Getting to the bar can be a nightmare. Definitely worth paying more to sit downstairs. In the past it had a reputation for somewhat heavy-handed bouncers. Capacity about 3,000. HAMMERSMITH ODEON: Queen Caroline Street, W.6. Tube; Hammersmith. Well . . . bar accessible—not as bad as people say, except from the back of the circle. Since the recent demise of the Rainbow, more and more concerts have taken place here, despite attempts by a local councillor to block tlieir new licence. LYCEUM, Aldwych. WC2. Tubes; Temple, Holborn. In the opinion of this writer, the very best of all the major venues. A real pity that it isn't used more—food and drink on the cheap side and readily obtainable. You can stand downsUirs or sit upstairs and everyone can see properly. Concerts also take place at Wembley Arena (Wembley Park tube) when the promoter reckons that the group in question could fill the Rainbow for a week. The acoustics leave plenty to be desired, and I suspect that most bands only play there to show off their new lasers etc to the best advantage. Still, it's often the only way to see major bands live, so the only thing to do is make the best of it. not hurry themselves for anyone, but the food is good and not too dear. Drinks are half-price before 10 pm and it is wise to take advantage of this. Bands vary, but some of them are well worth watching. Enjoyable evening out if you're feeling flush. ROCK GARDEN: King Street, WC2, Tube: Covent Garden, Part of the trendification of the Garden. It's OK. The actual club is in the cellar. If you want to see the band you'd better be near the front, or be not less than seven feet tall. Alternatively, a large pair of platforms would do. Lines of vision obscured by pillars. Drinks are expensive. Burgers etc available in the restaurant upstairs. Anyway, on a good night, with a few friends, you can always have a few laughs. RONNIE SCOTT'S; 47 Frith Street, Wl. Tube; Oxford Circus. Downstairs is expensive, although they do have reduced prices for students. Even then it's far from cheap but, if you want to see the best jazz around, this is the place to do it. Upstairs at Ronnie's used to be a bastion of the New Wave when it was new. Now it has rock nights on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Time Out reckons that the disco is hot stuff. Whilst on the subject of jazz, the PIZZA EXPRESS at 10 Dean Street, seems to be another place with a growing, reputation for good jazz, although information is a little thin on the ground here. Earlier this summer, the music press carried reports that Virgin Records had purchased property in Victoria with the intention of establishing a club along the lines of the Bottom Line in New York. The club will be called TIME VENUE and have a seating capacity of about 600, the general idea being that you can eat while watching the band do their stuff. ENTERTAINME MEDIUM VENUES ROUNDHOUSE: Chalk Fann Road, NWl. Tube; Chalk Farm. Experience has taught me that it is only possible to get service with any ease at the bar if you are already drunk, so be warned! The food is excellent, a little on the expensive side, but well worth indulging in. Some of the best bands around play at the Roundhouse; is a sort of halfway house between the pubs and the Rainbow. Once again, complaints from the neighbours leave a question mark hanging over its future. The Roundhouse also plays host to a number of "Fringe " events. MUSIC MACHINE: Camden High Street. NWl, opp. Mornington Crescent tube. This has improved since they lowered the stage. Drinks are expensive, but the food is reasonable. The disco is usually quite good (insofar as my unpractised ear can tell) and all in all it's a good place to go for a fun night out, even if you aren't wildly enthusiastic about the band, as it is open until 2 am. ELECTRIC CIRCUS# 184 Camden High St. Tube; Camden Town. I haven't actually been there yet as it has only been open for a couple of months, but my spies tell me that it's another fun place to go. Possible to get a drink without dying in the attempt, and the owner has a policy of booking bands people want to hear, which is fine if you happen to agree with him. Again, another place for nightbirds, closing around 2 am. CLUBS DINGWALLS: Camden Lock, NWl. Tube; Camden Town/Chalk Pann. ¦ THE place for ace liggers—often more people on the guest list than paying customers, or so it seems. Dingwall's staff do PUBS THE MARQUEE: 90 Wardour Street, Wl. Tube; Oxford Circus/Tottenham Ct Rd. Tends to be like the Black Hole of Calcutta when full. Drinks on the expensive side, food not worth bothering about. Some good bands play here and, who knows, you could be watching tomorrow's heroes today. 100 CLUB: 100 Oxford Street. Tubes; Oxford Circus/Tottenham Court Road. Run by Ron Watts, the genial "Godfather" of all things wonderful. Jazz, blues, r 'n' b, rock 'n' roll, reggae but not, alas, new wave, since the trouble that used to' occur with increasing regularity. Reduced prices with NUS cards, drinks at pub prices, Chinese food. It helps to be tall, however, and unless the place is full it tends to lack atmosphere. THE NASHVILLE: North End Road, W14. Tube; West Kensington. The epitome of the perfect pub. Admission is reasonable, it sells Fuller's wonderful ales, it has a certain je ne sais quoi. Cannot be recommended too highly, but go early to get a table near the front. HOPE & ANCHOR: Upper Street, Nl. Tube; Highbury & Islington. Inferior to the Nashville because it is cramped when full and it's difficult to get to the downstairs bar. Otherwise bands are similar to those at the Nashville. The jukebox is rightly famed as the best in London. Again, be early if you want to get a good view of something more than the back of other people's heads. PEGASUS: 109 Green Lanes, NId. Buses: 141, 171, 73, 30. Relatively new venue with music every night. Admission and drinks cheap, but it lacks the ambience of the longer-established venues; still, things could get better as time goes by. From some parts of the pub it is possible to see the stage. ROCHESTER CASTLE: Stoke Newington High Street. Bus; 73. Closed at present, due to a large debt to the brewers, but once upon a time it was a pleasant place for an evening out. Cheap and unpretentious, with the stage high enough to see the band properly. There are so many pubs in London that FRIDAY, 29th SEPTEMBER 5.30 pm : Islamic Freshers Welcome. MONDAY, 2nd OCTOBER 1 - 2 pm ; Christian Society Eucharist. E. 198. 5 pm : School Reception ; Talks followed by Reception. Old Theatre. (Reception Senior Common Room). 7 pm : Film Soc ; Get Carter. Old Theatre. TUESDAY, 3rd OCTOBER. 1 - 2 pm : Christian Soc. Agape. Graham Wallas Room. 12 ¦ 2 pm : Student Union Revue. Old Theatre. 2 pm onwards : Law Society First Meeting. 205. 4.30 - 6.30 pm : Introduction to Student Union. Old Theatre. ALL DAY ; Christian Society Help and Information Desk. E193. 7 pm ; Flm Soc : Woodstock. Old Theatre. 9 pm ; Rock Band : HI Fl. 3 Tuns Bar. WEDNESDAY, 4th OCTOBER 1 pm ; First meeting of Graduate Committee. All postgrads urged to attend. Graduate Common Room. 12- 1 pm: Socialist Society. S116 (Beaver Office). 1 pm onwards : Beaver's first meeting. S116. 7 pm ; Graduate Committee Party. See notice board in Graduate Common Room for venue. 7 pm ; Film Soc ; Airport 1975. Old Theatre. ; THURSDAY, 5th OCTOBER 12 onwards ; Christian Union International Reception. 210. I pm : First Ents meeting. Ents room (S118). II - 1 pm : Student life in London and British Council. Old Theatre. 1-2 pm : Anti Nazi League. Guest speakers from ANL Executive. Old Theatre. 1 - 2 pm : Film on United Nations presented by United Nations Association. C018. 5 - 6 pm : Christian Union Wine and Cheese Party. 509. 5.30 ¦ 7 pm : Union of Liberal Students Reception. 210. 7 pm : Film Soc ; The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. FRIDAY, 6th OCTOBER 12 onwards : Is Christianity intellectual suicide ? Christian Union. 210. 1 pm onwards : Anglican Eucharist. CU. 509. 1 pm onwards : Catholic Eucharist. CU. 404. SATI 8 (: w R 0 MOh 1 1 4( 7. R TUEi 7 WED 1 1 THU 1 1 s 1 5. 7 FRID 1 MOh 7 TUES 1 7 b( 7 SATl 8 H. THU 8 Hi it is impossible to mention them aU. The following list provides a brief guide to some of the others;— THE BRECKNOCK: 227 Camden Road, NWl. Buses; 29, 253. THE BRIDGE HOUSE; 23 Barking Road. Train; BR Canning Town. THE KENSINGTON: Russell Gdns. Tube: Shepherd's Bush. THE STAPLETON: Crouch Hill N8. Train; Crouch HiU. THE GREYHOUND: Fulham Palace Road. W6. Tube; Hammersmith. For any given week, consult SOUNDS (every Wed.), or NME or Melody Maker (every Thur.). REGGAE LITTLE BIT RITZY: Brixton Oval, Cold-harbour Lane. Tube; Brixton (691-1909). CLUB NOREIK: 864 Seven Sisters Road. N15. Tube: Seven Sisters (800-3791). BOUNCING BALL: 43 Peckham High Street, SE15. Train; BR Peckham Rye. (703-3435). I suggest a phone call in advance to see what's on. FOLK CLUBS I can personally recommend BUNJEES, in Litchfield Street, WC2. Not the place to get drunk, it's a coffee shop, but fun all the same, even for hardened alcoholics. Otherwise, POLK NEWS should provide the most up-to-date information. Shortage of space has precluded a more thorough guide, but watch this space and keep on taking the tablets! THE PRINCESS OF COOL 0 PAGE 5 MENT GUIDE SATURDAY, 7th OCTOBER 8 pm till late t ? FRESHERS' BALL (£1.30 advance from Union Shop, £1.50 on the door) with MUNGO JERRY, MARCH HARE. LADIES OF PLEASURE, RHUBARB THE CLOWN, FUSION. (See Ents News for details) Old Theatre and Haldane Library. MONDAY, 9th OCTOBER 1 ¦ 2 pm : Anti-Apartheid : Film and Speaker. Old Theatre. 1 onwards ; Bangladesh Society. Reception for new students. 404. 7.30 pm onwards ; Cypriot Society reception. George Wallas Room. TUESDAY, 10th OCTOBER 7 pm : Film Soc ; Monty Python and the Holy Grail. WEDNESDAY, 11th OCTOBER 1 - 2 pm : United Nations Association. 404. 1 pm : LSE Other Cinema : Last Tango in Paris. THURSDAY, 12th OCTOBER 1 pm ; Debating Society Introductory Meeting. 45. 1 pm onwards : Action Committee against Racism (ACAR). 3421. 1 - 2 pm : Labour Club. S75. 5.30 pm : Islamic Society Reception. 45. 7 pm : Film Soc : The Mean Machine. O.T. FRIDAY, 13th OCTOBER 1 pm onwards ; Latin-American Film and speakers. MONDAY, 16th OCTOBER 7-10 pm: Labour Club. Folk Singer and Film. TUESDAY, 17th OCTOBER 1 - 2 pm : Labour Club : Speaker/Discussion, S421. 7 pm : Graduate Committee present Live Group Social. Venue to be announced. 7 pm ; Film Soc ; The Day of the Jackal. O.T. SATURDAY, 28th OCTOBER 8 pm : Band : The Smirks (80p advance, £1 on door) Haldane Library. THURSDAY, 9th NOVEMBER 8 pm ; Singer: John Martyn (£1.30 advance, £1.50 on door). Haldane Library. -TK.\)e Pi0^/&W1ZBS «= Mirr V a f^uapvTn^ fxe vouf' Of uiw TiTusS STEVE NEEDS YOU! Unfortunately (but inevitably) a lot of Ents people failed their exams or completed their courses here last year, and the Ents Committee has dwindled in size considerably. We desperately need your help to organise our concerts and to help out on the night of an event. The work is very interesting and rewarding and perks are plentiful (free entrance to our concerts, complimentary tickets for London concerts, the occasional record etc.). We are having our first Ents meeting on Thursday, 5th, at 1 pm in the Ents room (S118) and would welcome anyone interested. After the meeting we're having a party so that new "Ents" can meet us on a more personal level (tee hee !). Se ya there ! COMING EVENTS TUESDAY, 3rd: In the Three Tuns Club (the basement of St. Clements and the best fun bar in London) you can see the rock band HI FI and get drunk at the same time. What more could you ask for (well, we won't go into that now) ? The band will be on around 9 pm. This event is FREE so bring a friend (or two) ! THURSDAY, 5th : The first Ents meeting of the year is at 1 pm, and when we've dealt with outstanding business, we're having a party. ALL WELCOME. SATURDAY, 7th : OK, this is the big one : LSE PRESENTS * THE 1978 FRESHERS' BALL ? starring the amazing MUNGO JERRY (of "In the Summertime" fame) with a full supporting cast including:— March Hare, a traditional English dance band ; The Ladies of Pleasure. Morris-dancing the night away; Rhubarb the Clown, mono-cycling and fire-eating for your delight! Co-starring : FUSION—ace up-and-coming reggae band. Guaranteed to get you dancin ! and DISCO, BAR TILL 12 and many exciting extras. Ticket prices: £1.30 in advance from the Union Shop ; £L50 on the night. Best get your tickets quickly as last year the tickets sold out well in advance, and a lot of people were disappointed on the night. SATURDAY, 2gth : THE SMIRKS. As their name implies, a really good fun band. Hailing from the Manchester area, they received a certain amount of publicity recently for their laudable "Smirks against Travolta'' campaign. They're almost certain to hit the big time before Christmas, so see them now before the ticket prices before their concerts soar into the realms of the bigger bands. Tickets: 80p in advance from the Union Shop; £1 on the night. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9th: JOHN MARTYN. Anyone who has already heard one of his records will buy a ticket without any prompting from me. Those of you who haven't, pop around your local record shop now and buy a copy of "So Far So Good", a "best-of" compilation which will have you drooling for more. This man is without doubt a genius: his songs range from beautifully delicate acoustic songs like "May You Never" to powerful songs like "The Dealer" from his latest album, which will have you screaming for more. One of the few true innovator of recent years, he can get the most amazing sound (at times sounding like a five-piece rock band even when playing solo) from his acoustic guitar and battery of effects-pedals. Tickets; £L30 in advance from the Union Shop ; £1,50 on the night. UXe (AtjTlf{Cr Tcc^ UKe TO CJ6T MoOiS Fbu4D CtowN flAcg" Ttx? qoo.... (eiootv),... Csii8^ ^ GeAf^rrri ^crtvvc OF OWhf MT \4ffJ An Introduction to THE LONDON ARTS MUSIC Jonathan Riehm&nd "WELCOME to Riverside — to a ¥ich array of music, a radiant ar-rangewient of musicians and real ale! " was the greeting in the pregrawime from Peter Knapp, one-of the • participants and organisers €)# the recent most enjoyable English -Music Festival at Riverside Studies in Hammersmith (during ¦which real ale was on tap at lOp a pint) which, in its short exist-anee so far, has already established-a reputation as an informal centre for the arts where both pleasure and discovery are guaranteed. Offering student standby at S€p, operas, plays, concerts and other events take place to ensure that if ever the Philistine is to reaJise that "Culture" is not a dirty word, it is at Riverside. Some -LSE students are under the unfortunate impression that an ap-psieeiation of the arts is out of line with a position on the LSE battle field. It is sad that these students rarely take advantage of the arts capital of the world; it is also a shame that student participation is so low that the LSE can only sport what must be the feeblest student orchestra in ihe country. My main interest in the arts is opera, and over the coming weeks. I shall be covering some of the operas to be staged in London, I would urge any Pi-esher wlio has not already done so, to make at least one exploratory visit to the London Coliseum, where admission is from the anything but elitist price of 90p. The programme for the current period includes Mozart's II Seraglio, Gilbert and Sullivan's lolanthe, Rossini's Thieving Magpie and The Tales of Hoxfmann with which I convinced last year's EACH and every October, 300 ofiit Freshers enter stage right. Few have any previous experience of that Bright Lights Taste — University. Rather than waste 500 words telling you everything about University but were afraid to ask, I shall endeavour to give a Freshers' guide to the LSE speciality — POLITICS. When 300 Freshers crowd into the first Union meeting of term they tend to be somewhat mystified by the seemingly laby-rinthian structure and operation of the august body which will dominate every aspect of their lives for the next three years. To some the complexities of "points of order" and "poi«ts of information" which neither bring about order nor inform a dead rat, will seem like old hat: Yes, every year we receive our quota of school debating wizards or founder members of N.U.S.S. branches and the like. These people tend to have the unfortunate desire ' of wanting to make a '"name" for themselves on the first day,, consequently they are apt to forget that they are no longer at the annual debate with "County Upper" and rush off to the nearest microphone and deliver the usual diatribe which such an education leads them to spout. The lack of the adulation which they have been brought up to expect often leaves them battle scarred and some even have the editors of tlMS ii«tole journal that opera can be fun. At Saddlers 'Wells the wrsatift English Music Theatre is performing Rossini's Cinderella and in November the Handel Opera Society is staging Semele and' Rinaldo. Covent Garden is normally rather more expensive, but for the high comedy of its Barber of Seville, or the sparkling zest of its Die PledermauS production, it is worth it. In a fe'W liajs, there will be a Prom perfermance of the entire Ring with ticteets at £2.00 on the door, a special supply kept for students. Enjoy yourselves!!! CrNEMA Carol Sattttelfers ONE of the advantages of living in London is the vast number of films showing. At West End cinemas — most of them situated' in the Leicester Square / Haymarket / Oxford Circus area — it is possible to see new films before they go out on general release. Usually you can get tickets for a performance simply by turning up at the cinema — but to be on the safe side it is best to wait at least a week after the film is released. It is not. needless to say, advisable to turn up on the first night that a film like "Grease" is released — you will not get in. In return for seeing films early on there is a penalty. West End cinemas are extremely expensive. You can expect to pay about £2 for a ticket at most of these cinemas. If you are a patient scrooge-type you will find that all the big name films eventuRlly go on general re- audacity to dismiss the . Union as being fit only for "hacks". This brings me to my first point ; As you find your LSE legs, the division into hacks and hackettes and voting fodder will creep between you and may spoil many a beautiful friendship or bring about some bizarre political alliances. Hacks Colloquialism; short for Union hack, but not to be confused with Beaver hacks or Ents hacks (better known as Beaver persons or Ents persons). A hack is a person who aspires to the citadel of Union power and will use fair means or foul to carry out his/her pet fantasy of becoming a General Secretary or a Senior Treasurer or perhaps a Governor or a member of the Executive. Below these celestial heights lie a myriad of lesser committees on which Freshers can break their political teeth. Party (or as J. P. Sartre put it, abnegation of responsibility) is for many the social fulcrum about which the incidentals such as work and sex, revolve. At present the political groupings which cover all colours on the political spectrum — even if some colours are better repre- lease. Tliis means that you can see the fifai of your choice at your local flteapit for upwards of £1. You tPitl pretty soon work out which of your local cinemas are worth- 'watching and which are likely to be showing Emmanuelle 63 for the third time. If you're into arty or alternative films there are some good cinemas to watch for. These include The Scala mear Carr-Saunders), Gate 2 (near PassfieW), Camden Plaza, the ICA (on The Mall), and the National' Film Theatre. The NFT requires you to be a member and there are .special subscription rates for stv»dents C£2.20). Once you are a member tickets cost £1 each and there is a system of standby tickets — m other words if you turn «p half an hour before a showing any tickets left over will be sold for 80p. Another advantage of London cinema is late night showings. Seme cinemas, notably the Screen on the Green (Angel tube) and the Screen on the' Hill (Belsize Park tube) have excellent programmes. Tickets are generally cheaper thah normal. Apart from this I am i-eliably informed that they . are usually conveniently timed for the closing of the pubs and the beginning of Night Buses. You can find out about these showings (and all films) by reading Time Out. Nicky Home also giyes late night film details on "Your Mothei- Wouldn't Like It ", which to the uninitiated is an album spot on Capitol radio (Mon-Fri, 9-11 pm). While were on the subject of films — don't neglect LSE's Film Soc which is extremely good and much the cheapest way of seeing films around. Membership is a mere £3. sented than others — are in something of a state of flux, as many of the party bosses have left and internal power struggles are the order of the day. Last year saw a rash of baCk-stabbing front-page departures as people rushed into Independence. I shall not dwell on this as old wounds heal slowly, but suffice to say, that Carol Saunders rewrote the old Paul Simon song to read ; "50 ways to leave your party". The parties, their political complexion notwithstanding, develop a certain "style" which reflects the personality of their leading lights. The Liberals are known as being corrupt, social-climbers, whereas the National -ei' J - GUY ELLIOTT THEATRE Will Richardson IP you are new to London there is one supreme advantage of- the metropolis that you should be careful not to miss. In most provincial towns you can see the main-distribution films, see television, and probably (though with a bit of travelling to your regional culture capital) , see rock bands and other live music. But the theatres accessible from most provincial towns can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Not so in London. For the next three years or so you will be able, without undue inconvenience, to visit any of the literally dozens of live theatres in London. This is an advantage you share with everyone else in London. But you have a card up your sleeve that they Socialist Workers Party have always been identified with King's Road trendies. The Conservatives range from the petty bourgeois Fascist, to the Thatcherite "lefty". The Labour club have remained free from this "identity crisis" largely because they have had to undergo rigorous "Pavlov style" re-education before being allowed to join. It -vt'ould be hard to say which party is most representative — the Labour club do have three members on the Executive, but then people always do vote for the silly candidates. The Liberal member left as a tax exile, but J. Ingram is still here carrying out his 43rd term in office as Senior Treasurer — they are often regarded as a "one" man party, and this is perfectly true. The Tories got themselves in a sorry state last year with the "Gauleiter" for the London region leaving and the growth of a faction within the party which v^ould like them to become purely a social gathering and leave politics altogether. The National Socialist Workers Party developed delusions of grandeur during the cold winter months, and it took a don't. A Students' tr»:i3i5M card can get you cheap seats in several theatres, usually on A stand-by system. (The obvious example is the AWVsych — but doa't fbr'get the other RSC outlets in I,«ndon: the ¦Warehouse, and occasienally commercial theatres like tiw Piccadilly.) There are several' Jimchtirne theatres which y««>' — unconstrained by strict office hours , — can attend more easSli? than t)ie average London worker. For all this you sisould consult Time Out and B«aver an*!' the press and you name it. The tubes and buses are fulV of iBsprecations to visit the latest star-Sofmtrc^0tANt> ovmA6Am, ^ mttspmr HLMiT^ Uj oofmwo^pfiDBmmy^wmm serBipfimmSS ^^esmmt mjT imrt WEmiitmofA rt*sf. "mBfTmrnT^nmuiA inm cAimAmM&m^estrAmm m^swrnvm,.. SORB THm BUT yiX}t>6BT7&L e^rof^scon, immA*wm* CONCmrohf N&crwem. At^omsBiftrH WUTAlCBAUiTlBSS TTME all # m TlieTI-51-IIIand theTI-SZ Scientifk; calculators that do a lot Jot more. £34.95 RRP. inc. VAT. £34.95 KRRmc.VAT. ^ _ g^r-sr--^' d UJ LJ u u. Tvvo calculators from Texas Instruments that ^ive you all the versatility you require as a student. No matter what your subjects. -Find out more by sending us the coupon below and, by return, we'll send you FREE a 12 page colour TI-57 comic book plus product information brochures on both the TI-57 and the TI-5Hn. Ibxas Instruments Limited, I Data Services DeptMS36, I J Manton Lane, Bedford MK417PU, | f Please send rae FREE full colour ? I TI-57 and TI-5HI1 literature. limiP I II Name I I I Univereity/College Addi'ess, o ¦¦xvsi^-igBg^^^SSk -iiSI iO'5Mil. Advanced Scientific Texas Instruments Always one step ahead. Texas lastrumeats Limited, EuroiJeaa Cousumer Division, Mwitoa Laac, Bcdfw(l Mfi417PIf. Isi; (02S4) 6748G Tl-SZ PiDgraimnablc PAGE 8 UL MERGER SENSATION A clear case of glass interest J/—- THE ACADEMIC WORLD was rocked to its foundations this summer when glass supremo Sir Alastair Pilkington, F.R.S., made his opening gambit in a shock smash-and-grab takeover bid for (crisis-ridden state-owned London University. A Business History Unit is to be established as a joint venture between LSE and the Imperial College of Science and Technology. This will be financed by the business world through an appeal launched by Sir Alastair. So far a staggering £225,000 has been raised. The Unit, it is felt, is vital, given the flourishing interest in business history. Many publications have appeared on the subject, for example "The Glass Makers: Pilkington 1826-1976," by Prof. Theo Barker, to name but a few. Mystery Tilt An Academic Management Committee chaired by Prof. Theo Barker (no relation) will be responsible for the academic policy and the administration of the unit. Dr Leslie Hannah, of no fixed interest, a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, has been appointed as Director of the Unit. Shattered A prominent business historian has commented ; "This is the breakthrough we have all been waiting for. For the first time ordinary working business historians of this world can enjoy, in the privacy and comfort of their home, good oF finger-lickin' Kentucky Fried Chicken, Colonel Saunders style, behind newly-installed Pilking-ton's Draught - free De Luxe Double Glazing just for saying a few nice things about certain members of the business community." Drama A Union spokesman from trouble-torn LSE lashed out: "This is just what we've come to expect with regard to the policy of a University which is already merely a front for the international monopoly capitalist class which is living of¥ the lifeblood of students and other members of the working class.''' Ed Walker and James Gaussen. Strand House moue-not so smooth THE move to Strand House has not been without its teething problems, according to Library Staff. Architects working on the Library appear to have had consultation only with the Librarian and his Deputy, which has led to some unfortunate problems in individual departments. • The Periodicals Department has been found to be far too small, making it necessary to resituate half the Department. • Offices have been badly planned and in several departments telephones have been fixed to walls where it would have been far more convenient to staff to have them on desks. • The Bindery Department has been carpeted despite the fact that it comprises quite a bit of heavy machinery which is already dripping oil. Other problems include the ¦ fact that the book stacks, whilst ideal for bound volumes, are totally unsuitable for unbound material. The temperature thermostat in the Bindery has been malfunctioning and with the temperature in the hundreds for two weeks staff have had to be sent home. Staff are more concerned, however, that there have been no fire extinguishers for several weeks. What is more, electricians and builders have been working in the building at the same time—which substantially 1 raises the fire risk. The move itself was extremely smooth although StaiT feel that the Library is unlikely to be ready for full use on October 2nd. There will, for example, be no turnstiles at the entrance for some time as the firm from whom they were ordered has gone bankrupt. Generally, however. Staff feel that the Library will function smoothly given time and will be a pleasant place to work in. Ghost Some 'spiritual' relief has been afforded by the growing belief that the Strand House complex includes a ghost. The ghost, said to be a first world war nurse, has been sighted on several occasions. Contractors on the second floor were disturbed by a figure which walked towards them. On the fourth floor an electrician found that he was not 'alone' on the floor when doors started slamming. On the ground floor security claim to have had three sightings. Why a nurse ? Apparently, Strand House was a Hospital during the first world war. carol saunders. EX-LSE STUDENT freed in Ghana J. H. MENSAH, a Ghanaian economist and a former student at the LSE, was acquitted in June in Accra of charges of "sedition." Mr Mensah had been arrested and tried in 1975, and was then convicted of "sedition"—on the Railcard price held BRITISH RAIL'S half-rate travel scheme for students, which attracted over a quarter-of-a-million sales in the last academic year, will continue to be sold for only £7 per Railcard for the year from September 15th, 1978. To qualify for a card, students must be in full-time education, attending an educational establishment in the United Kingdom for over 15 hours weekly and for at least twenty weeks of the full academic year. The card, valid to September 30th, 1979, will entitle the student to 50 per cent off the following second class rail fares: Ordinary single, ordinary return and Awayday returns, limited only by a minimum student fare of £1.75 ordinary single or Awayday return and £3.50 ordinary return. But, on Saturdays, Sundays, Bank Holidays and any day during July and August, the 50 per cent reduction will apply to all journeys without a minimum fare restriction. Student Railcard holders can also obtain 50 per cent reductions (5n Sealink services to and from the Channel Islands and Ireland. Full details and application forms are obtainable from Euston station and you will need your tutor's signature on the form confirming that you are an eligible student. AU future REGULAR Beaver devotee (s) may have noticed that there is no AU news in this issue. This is because (God and A1 Newton willing) (why the distinction? — Ed.) there will be a special AU handout this week. Keen sports fans will be sad to hear that Beaver's ace sports columnist, Guy Elliot, will be moved to other (ir) responsibilities this year. Jill Arnold will be taking over the sports page. We feel that her being an AU executive member will not be too great a disadvantage, as Guy has promised to help her with the first few issues. Anyway, we hope Jill will be happy working on Beaver. Ed Walker basis of a pamphlet he wrote, critical of the economic policies of the military government in Ghana. He was sentenced to eight years' hard labour at that time, but immediately appealed against his conviction. The case of J. H. Mensah was taken up by Amnesty International, who adopted him as a prisoner of conscience and who launched appeals on his behalf. His case was also taken up by a number of prominent economists and academics in Europe and North America. The LSE Union appealed on his behalf, as did members of the LSE staff and particularly the Director, who was able to visit Mr Mensah in prison in Accra. J. H. Mensah's appeal was finally heard in May of this year, after two-and-a-half years' delay. The appeal was upheld, and J. H. Mensah was freed in June. J. S. YEO. DISINVESTMENT Cont. from page 1 A VARIETY of differing views were expressed. It was pointed out that at least one leading City financial company has found, after research, that it was possible to commit itself to phased disinvestment without harming its own interests. On the other hand, one Governor revealed himself to be the Managing Director of one of the firms involved and felt that "small non-dramatic changes are taking place (in South Africa). People who have not been there might not understand". Another Governor asked "Have I the right, on behalf of other people — with their money — to make moral decisions?'' Many of the Governors, one observer commented, seemed frankly bored and anxious to finish the meeting. It has been suggested that this was not entirely unconnected with the reception which had been laid on for the close of the meeting. There was some confusion over the eventual motion to be voted on as it involved several amendments. The debate centred on whether or not a report should be compiled on the experiences of City companies which have followed policies of disinvestment. A vote favoured this suggestion but was followed by another against allowing the report to be presented to the court. The contradictory nature of these votes created a stir amongst those who supported disinvestment as it effectively closed the whole debate. An observer to the meeting, however. points out that it might be possible to bring the matter to the Court's attention at the next meeting under "Matters Arising'', In any event the Disinvestment Action Committee has no intention of allowing the issue to be dropped. Carol Saunders Printed by Ripley Printers Ltd., Ripley, Derby. Published by London School of Economics and Political Science, Students' Union, St Clement's Buildings, Claremarket, London, WC2A 2AE.