1966 Jersey Topic Editorial

A piece from the past. From 1966, Jersey Topic, a look at breaking news in the Island. Some dated, some topical even today, even if the goal posts have moved, the issues are still live.

Not mentioned in the piece, but also in 1965, above is the 600-bed hotel which owner Harry Swanson wanted to build to replace the Watersplash in the middle of St Ouen's Bay.

Jersey Topic Editorial, 1966

THE SILLY SEASON

This month has certainly been the start of the silly season.

Prize for the silliest suggestion of the month goes to Professor R. J. Richards, Director of the Institute of Sound and Vibration, at Southampton University, who was brought over to the island by SPAD to help their cause. His answer to the problem: move Jersey Airport to Groznez.

Yes, of course this is the answer. We all know that the airport is badly sited. But who is going to foot the bill?

I mean, you can carry this sort of thinking through to every other problem in Jersey.

We have a traffic problem in the town because it was never built to take the sort of traffic of today. Simple.  Knock it all down and rebuilt it. Better still, move the town. The gas works is badly sited and causes nuisance. So let's move it, And we can easily solve the problem of having flights delayed by fog at the airport by dispensing with aircraft altogether and building a bridge between Jersey and England.

We may as well do the same with France whilst we are about it.

Come off it, SPAD. If you want some measure of public sympathy you will have to do better than that.

THE CONSTABLE'S HOUSE

Then we had the case of the Constable of St. Peter rising in the States like a knight in shining armour to appeal to the States to help re-house a parishioner whose life was now intolerable as he lived close to the airport runway. My estimation of the Constable of St. Peter welled up immediately-such an interest in one of his electorate.

Senator Wilfred Krichefski then informed the States that for the past 12 months the Harbours and Airport Committee had been trying to buy the property so that they could rehouse the family and demolish the building. They had had an estimate of the value of the property and so had the owner-but the owner's estimate was £500 more than the Committee's. The Committee had agreed to the higher figure, but the owner refused to sell.

Senator Krichefski then informed the States that the owner of the house was none other than the Constable of St. Peter.

It really is all beyond me. Watching the St. Peter's poiticians at work is like watching a circus performance. And like all circuses, it is very funny to the people watching but hard work and often tragic when you are part of it.

God save the St. Peter's parishioners.

CLIMAX OF THE SEASON

The climax to the silly season came when the States decided, by an overwhelming vote, not to allow licensed clubs to have one-armed bandits on their premises. Such a decision is so illogical as to be almost unbelievable.

At a time when a States lottery is being prepared, when betting shops are legal and when you can spend what you like on "Ernie" or football pools, to stop licensed clubs from running "bandits" is just plain crazy. The reason why this legislation was stopped was because some States members felt that this was giving club members an amenity which the general public did not have. They over-looked, of course, that club members already enjoy other privileges. Like drinking until midnight.,

Mind you, how the States could be so much against one-armed bandits after all the two-armed ones we've had in Jersey for so long beats me.

STATES AID TO SCHOOLS

I have to confess that I am, to some degree, anti public school.

This probably stems from my own upbringing and from the fact that I believe that State education today is magnificent. My own children are being State educated because I believe in it.

However, I am not against public or private schools, because I also believe that they have their place in society. Certainly, as far as Jersey is concerned they save the taxpayer a great deal of money. The Jersey Education Committee has shown sound judgement in pioneering grants to private schools, for they know that without them it would cost us another £200,000 plus on our education bill.

Nearly 2,000-one-fifth-of Jersey's school children are privately educated, and many of the schools find it difficult to make ends meet. The new grants will make their lives a lot easier.

However, there is only one aspect that worries me. To qualify for a grant, a private school must not be making a profit. This must surely encourage fiddles, inefficiency and gradual and deliberate running down of a school to enable them to qualify. I wish a better system could be found.

OLD VICTORIANS FURORE

Old Victorians will say that because I am not an O.V.,  I could not be expected to understand-but could someone please tell me what all the fuss is about over the status of Victoria College.

The Education Committee has merely suggested that, as in the case of Hautlieu and Rouge Bouillon, some over- lapping at sixth form level could prove to be beneficial and economic. This could mean that Victoria College will no longer be considered a public school.

Does it really matter if our children are being better educated?

NO WRESTLING

Another wrestling promoter has left Jersey after trying to get the Bailiff's office to agree to let them stage wrestling promotions in the island.

I really think that in this day and age - when democracy means that our lives are affected by people elected by people - one man should not be allowed to make decisions like this. I am not a supporter of wrestling, although I do believe it to be pretty harmless entertainment. But I am against the principle where one person, rather in the role of the dictator, should say "there will be no wrestling in Jersey" and there is none.

Are we living in 1966?

FINE BOOK

A painstaking local historian has just completed a fine work called Old Jersey Houses. This book, published by Commercial Art, should sit on the bookshelves of anyone who has a true love for Jersey.

It is interesting, lively and fascinating. Mrs. Joan Stevens has worked long and hard to write her work. And we are delighted that she has joined us to impart her knowledge on this subject to TOPIC readers.

HEADLINE OF THE MONTH

Headline of the month goes to the daily paper for "Trench Traps Steamroller." I think this type of out-of-season hunting should be banned!