Looking Back – news from the John O'Groat Journal of yesteryear
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Wick River workmen's wages
From the Groat of December 21 , 1923
Workers employed on the scheme to improve Wick River had become dissatisfied with their pay of eight-and-a-quarter pence per hour and the town council had appealed to the Unemployment Grants Committee, which had contributed towards the cost of the project, to be allowed to increase the rate.
The council pointed out that the pay represented 75 per cent of the wages of unskilled labourers paid by the local authority and was causing "a distinct hardship upon the poor men employed on these works, many of whom have large families".
The London-based committee replied that it was unable to sanction the increase but added that if the men were not employed for more than an average of three days per week "it would be open to the town council to pay them at a rate not exceeding 87-and-a-half per cent of the basic rate".
At Wick Sheriff Court, four Wick boys were sentenced after having pleaded guilty to theft.
Sheriff Trotter told the youths that he had "shirked from sending them to prison, but obviously they were beyond control, and having regard to their future, their own interests and those of their parents, the best thing to do was to send them to a borstal institution".
The sheriff said he had "no doubt that on the expiration of their term they would become useful citizens".
Three 17-year-olds were sentenced to three years in borstal, while a 15-year-old was ordered to spend three years in a reformatory.
Shortage of salt for icy roads
From the Groat of December 21, 1973
The roads department in Caithness had revealed that there was "no salt left for treating the majority of the icy roads throughout the county".
The little remaining – less that 100 tons – was to be used in extreme emergencies and on the braes at Berriedale.
The county council normally required 1200 tons of road salt for an entire winter but 1000 tons had already been used up since the start of November.
Industrial trouble on the railways and priority of coal shipments had been blamed for the shortage.
The ongoing regime of power cuts was continuing, with the people of Thurso learning that the town had been assigned to the V2 rota by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board.
It was expected that each power cut would last no longer than three hours but that there could be as many as four power cuts on some days.
In Wick, which was already on the blackout rota, the local thespians were preparing for the worst.
Wick Players' production of Tommy Tucker was to go ahead even if the lights went off, and audience members were being asked to bring along gas lamps and electric torches to supplement the Players' own emergency gas lighting for the stage.
Festive boost for traders
From the Groat of December 23, 1998
Local firms had been experiencing a festive boost to trade as customers stocked up on gifts, food and drink for Christmas.
As expected, toy shops had been very busy, while supermarkets and off-licences were also reporting increased sales.
Margaret Fulton, manageress of Graham Begg's toy shop in Wick, reported an "exceptional demand for Furbies", adding: "We can't get enough of them."
PlayStations and Nintendos were the popular items at the town's Woolworths store, where music CDs and tapes also continued to do well.
Safeway in Wick and Thurso had taken on additional staff to cope with the Christmas demand and the stores were "doing very well", according to a spokeswomen.
However, workers at a call centre in Thurso were less happy. The 26 information service staff employed by Manpower at the BT centre labelled their bosses Scrooge-like in a row over bonuses.
One of the workers stated that their bonus consisted of £50 towards a Christmas night out, while staff employed by BT doing the same job were entitled to up to £275 each at Christmas, with even the new starts getting £84 each.
However, a Manpower spokesman defended the bonus and said that a comparison with BT was not relevant as the staff were not working for BT.
