Sir, – With respect to the article regarding lack of labour for Tayside and Fife fruit farms (Courier, May 6) I am unable to understand why farmers are having to fly to Bulgaria and Romania to try to recruit labour for fruit picking and so on.
Why can they not contact the local benefits office/job centre or whatever name it goes under these days and be provided with a list of unemployed who are otherwise drawing benefits because they are unable to find work?
I assume that, as the employment laws require, the farmers are paying the minimum wage.
This situation would seem to substantiate why the Conservative Government have initiated the withdrawal of benefits, although the method of doing so leaves a lot to be desired.
Ian Roberts.
Hillside,
Montrose.
Changing view of city’s future
Sir, – Last week your paper featured a fascinating bird’s eye view of a tug towing the Frigate Unicorn from Earl Grey Dock.
It showed a swathe of the immediate area and, mistily beyond, the rear of Green’s Playhouse and part of the City Churches.
Of the immediate area there is nothing left, save for the southern buildings of Whitehall Crescent.
Shame on the then Council for demolishing so much and with a complete disregard for that which framed the lives of so many Dundonians.
Other parts of our city shared a similar fate – Overgate, Wellgate, West Port, Victoria Road, Hawkhill and on and on.
Saddest next to a city lost is a city half gone. And for what? Roads it seems, endless and leading nowhere!
However, all is not lost! We have the V&A and more hotels than a Spanish resort. Does an insidious mystery lurk behind the demise of so much industry and life, which once thronged the scope of that bird’s eye view?
Perhaps, it is because we are now a city of brains rather than brawn and the global reach of our once industrial output is supplanted by a city of discovery, which is manned not by those, who rolled up their sleeves and got their hands dirty, and dreamt rather than thought, but by a crew of well-educated, deep thinkers.
It would appear then that progress has left behind those of us who are not so smart and preferred “pehs” and Bovril to fillet steak and Nuits St George.
We now find ourselves in a city tailored for another breed, to stand bewildered by the surrounding “culture” we so often scoffed, and watch the world tread many paths to view its wonder.
I did not leave my city. My city left me.
Leslie Isles Milligan.
Myrtlehall Gardens,
Dundee.
Soundtracks hit the wrong note
Sir, – I have visited castles, been at the top of a mountain, on an oil platform, even down Kirkcaldy high street – yet if they make a programme about any of these places there is non-stop background music. It is only a matter of time before we hear it on the news.
Why do these programme makers think we need someone speaking, accompanied by music?
People with industrial deafness find it impossible to listen to. I either turn off or put on the subtitles.
If a programme needs a musical accompaniment it must be lacking something.
John G Phimister.
St Clair Street,
Kirkcaldy.
High praise for hospital team
Sir, – I recently attended the gastroenterology department of Perth Royal Infirmary for an internal investigation.
During my visit I was treated with great care and professionalism by everyone I had contact with.
The place was spotlessly clean and I could not have been more impressed or grateful.
Keith Dale.
David Douglas Avenue, Scone.
Answering the usual suspects
Sir, – The Courier letters page (June 5) contained a mix of anti Scottish/SNP letters from the usual suspects.
A A Bullions attacked the SNP Government for Scottish economic performance figures, which are the result of London’s mismanagement.
Rather than emulating the other successful, fully independent, Scotland-sized countries, his answer is what? To continue with the current ruinous arrangement with a cataclysmic Brexit looming on the horizon?
Allan Bell claims the Scottish Government has all the powers it needs. His inclusion of welfare, benefits, finance and tax conveniently overlooks the highly-restricted nature of its influence in these matters. Various SNP amendments to the Scotland Bill were all defeated and we were told by David Mundell this was for our own good. Mr Bell’s claim is that Scotland’s, “dire performance” is due to, “incompetence”. Agreed, but he misses the mark by attempting to smear a Scottish government, operating under a fixed budget, which has the best track record in the UK. Rev Dr John Cameron demands our First Minister get on with the, “day job”. Nicola Sturgeon’s day job is Scotland – its people, its industries, its public services, its future well being and prosperity, all pursued with an ambitious, pro-Scottish intent. A point lost on Keith Howell, who claims Ms Sturgeon stands, “with those who are against the UK”. Scotland is the UK, Mr Howell. Our First Minister has a mandate from the people of this country, a constituent partner of the union from which the United Kingdom derives its title. A mandate she rightly and properly exercises on our behalf.
Ken Clark.
Thorter Way,
Dundee.
Perhaps not so green after all
Sir, – Writing in the US Forbes business magazine Michael Shellenberger, president of Environmental Progress, warned that solar panels contain cadmium, lead and other toxic chemicals considered hazardous and are an environmental threat when they reach their end-of-life stage.
Leaching from broken panels and those in landfill they could release toxic waste into the ground and enter the water table.
Sound familiar?
Last year the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that Friends of the Earth (FoE) was unable to substantiate its advertising poster claims that the chemicals used in fracking were dangerous to humans, would enter the water table and that those living near fracking sites were at risk of asthma and cancer – and warned it never to repeat those claims.
Why have FoE, WWF and their cohorts not highlighted the environmental pollution and health risks of solar panels?
Seems that fracking is far safer than “not-so-green” solar panels.
Clark Cross.
Springfield Road,
Linlithgow.
May must mind her mandate
Sir, – I hope Theresa May realises that when she deals with these bigots from Northern Ireland on abortion, so that she can stay in power, it was not part of her manifesto at the last election and she does not have a mandate from the people to do this.
Alister Rankin.
Whyterose Terrace,
Methil.
Row raises red flag on religion
Sir, – When we go on holidays abroad I would hope we respect and adhere to the religions and customs of the countries we are visiting.
The fact that the brewer’s group Greene King has had to remove the Saudi Arabia flag from its pubs’ World Cup bunting following complaints is a disgrace and once again shows we continue to be dictated to and bullied by other religions into accepting their authority within our own country.
Eric Travers.
Gellatly Road,
Dunfermline.