... IN HIS December article Up to date with the power game, Herman Simper indicates that merits and demerits claimed depend mainly on what the particular spokesman has to I offer! This is clearly true but I felt it rather left the impression that International Harvester had nothing to offer except lower link sensing. Surely the boot is on the other foot and some other manufacturers, not having ...

... SIR-- It is splendid that the Prime Minister and Mrs Wilson are encouraging an interest in children's theatre, but I see no cause for the inordinate rejoicing of your leading article. Even the reception held at No. 10 seems to have a sobering message cnat it is quite out of the question to expect official financial support for this cause. True there is a lot of activity in drama with children, ...

... SIR,-- The Arts Council Report Regional Activities in the United Kingdom is full of useful statistics, but fails in my view to give encouragement to Arts Associations and local authorities outside London to spend money on these twin Arts. For example, Page 43 of the Report Regional Activities is not a report on Regional Activities.. It is a treatise on the siting of opera houses outside ...

... THE annual scramble for the Christmas turkey makes me wonder why farmers don't go in more for geese, which are far easier to rear, excellent food and profitable. Geese require little care. They like a wide range of liberty over common or pasture land, with a pond by the way, stubbles to forage in during the autumn. They will pick up most of their living in this way and thrive and fatten ...

... Out and then in WHEN a small farmer has received compensation in return for agreeing to be dis placed from his small farm so that it might be combined into a larger farm unit, is he then eligible to claim a grant to help him set up a new smallholding? You will have noted that the Smallholding Grants Scheme is currently being revised by Parliament, and it seems incon sistent to be encouraging ...

... MAY we ask for space to correct a misleading im pression which has been given by abbreviated reports in many newspapers about the Court of Appeal decision relating to two cases of 1967/68 levy assess ments. The decision means that, on the evidence at the lower court, those two particular cases were in technical breach of the legal requirements for the issue of their assessment notices. The ...

... Sheffield Lyceum SIR,--The following facts concerning the future of the Lyceum, Sheffield, may be of interest to you. A 17,000 signature petition to Sheffield Corporation has been referred to the Policy Com mittee and a recommendation is expected in the near future. Apart from the petition, the local press have forwarded to the City Council nearly two thousand letters from readers concerning ...

... LETTERS to the Editor of TELEVISION TODAY The Editor reserves the rigKt to reduce letters for reasons of space If readers wish ihetr letters to be printed in full or not at all, they should say so Letters not for publication should be clearly marked. Names and addresses may be withheld at the Editor s discretion ...

... Play was completely misunderstood Dear Sir, I am writing to protest about the criticism of Rhapsody for Misplaced Persons by Char lotte Bingham and Terence Brady in Television Today, January 1. I think that Jose phine Haworth has completely misunderstood both the charac ter of Victoria, and the ending of the play. She states that the relationship folded when it turned out that he had ordinary ...

... Infiltration Sir, I believe I have read that a condition of acceptance by Equity, of any would be member, is that the candidate should be qualified as to professional training or, and, experience. In view of the numerous people in entertain ment who have been taken straight from office and work shop callings, and these are more than numerous, at the behest of some influential per son already ...

... Scropbook Sir, I wonder if, through your pages, I may seek assis tance with a documentary I am preparing? I am at the moment gathering together material for, so to speak, a stage Scrapbook of the years 1939 and 1940, emphasising the conditions and experience of the civilian popu lation. I shall, of course, be making reference to the songs and the entertainment of the period. I wonder if there ...

... Shakespeare and Orton SIR, Might I add to R. B. Marriott's most comprehensive survey of 1969 theatrical treats the brave Troilus and Cres- sida at the Aldwych and Joe Orion's inspired-lunacy What the Butler Saw at the Queens. Posterity will, I trust, judge Orton's last effort more kindly than today's critics Yours faithfullv, CHRIS VIVEASH 142 Beech Avenue, Swindon, Wilts. ...