Looking Back – news from the John O'Groat Journal of yesteryear
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Threats made against election candidate
From the Groat of November 10, 1922
Under the heading "extraordinary revelations", it was reported that threats had been made against Sir Archibald Sinclair in a bid to get him to drop his candidature for the Caithness and Sutherland seat in the general election.
Sir Archibald revealed the fact that "efforts had been made to prevail upon him, under threats, to withdraw" when he attended a meeting of women in Wick.
Enquiries had elicited some "remarkable statements" with regard to the matter.
It was reported that a supporter of Sir Leicester Harmsworth, who was also standing, relayed to a supporter of Sir Archibald that the latter was unlikely to win and so should withdraw and allow the former a walkover.
Were this suggestion not to be accepted, then Sir Archibald would be "attacked with 'shot and shell' in a Special Edition of the Northern Ensign".
It was also asserted that a proposal was to be made to have Winston Churchill persuade Sir Archibald to withdraw. Failing this, then Mr Churchill would be "attacked in Dundee and the 'big guns' of a certain notorious Press would be turned upon him with the view of preventing his re-election for that city and also upon Sir Archibald himself in the event of his insisting on standing and being returned".
Support for oil project
From the Groat of November 10, 1972
In an effort to counter the opposition, on grounds of scenery and amenity preservation, to the proposed industrial development at Dunnet Bay, a petition bearing 6000 signatures had been lodged with Caithness County Council.
The document came from the Committee for Support for the Oil Rig Project at Dunnet Bay and, according to its members, it "covered all aspects and cross-sections of our society in Caithness".
The aim was to secure the employment that the project would bring and support had been sought from "clergymen, councillors, shopkeepers, hoteliers, tradesmen, engineers, farmers, fishermen and unemployed".
Committee members said that their aim was "to bring prosperity and full employment to Caithness and advance a better general economic environment".
Elsewhere, Thurso Town Council was trialling a new system of refuse collection. Residents in Springpark and Mount Pleasant were to be given paper sacks in special holders instead of refuse bins.
The pilot scheme, which was to begin shortly and run for a year, had been recommended by the public health committee and if successful would be applied to the whole burgh.
It was hoped the scheme would increase productivity and improve conditions for the refuse collectors.
Dounreay strike threat
From the Groat of November 14, 1997
The main union negotiating a pay deal on behalf of 100-plus workers at Dounreay said that strike action had not been ruled out.
The workers were at loggerheads with their private-sector employers over their latest pay and conditions deal.
The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union condemned the offer from American-owned Johnson Controls as "insulting" and accused the company of "welshing on promises made when it took over the facilities management contract".
The firm had offered a 2.5 per cent wage increase in a package which also involved cuts in overtime, travel payments and holiday entitlement.
AEEU members, along with fellow craftsmen, clerical and support staff, were said to be "incensed to find their pay and conditions steadily deteriorating compared to their former UKAEA colleagues".
The union's national officer Danny Carrigan said: "What has really got us going is that here we have a company which, when it took over, talked about work booming and told workers that they would be much better off in the private sector.
"They promised to maintain, indeed improve, wages and conditions but instead all they have done is cut, cut and cut again. They have broken all their promises, one after another."
