The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 1

TheDriverV Coot Sain and wfaul WW piMbdomgiMd I 1HI win py WackBnfcbant Manchester Monday March 12 1973 5p British firms pay rr-s I cooul 1 rar Africans starvation rate By ADAM RAPHAEL The majority of British companies in South Africa are paying substantial numbers of their African workers below officially recognised subsistence levels. An investigation of 100 British companies found only three Shell, 1C1, and Unilever who were paying all employees above the minimum for an African family to avoid malnutrition. Some prominent British companies earning large profits in South Africa are paying between a third and a half of this minimum subsistence standard. If your income is below the poverty datum line (10-JE11 a week for a family of five) your health must suffer. In a real sense this is starvation," said the research I officer for Johannesburg's Non-European Affairs Department.

This comment proved to be no exaggera- tion. Above A woman with her sick baby at the Boscombe estate wattle farm, owned by Slater Walker, in the town. The sores on the baby's back are caused by malnutrition Right: A woman on the same farm complaining of bad mealie meal," her staple diet. On two wattle farms ownea by Slater Walker SA, I saw much of South African in-several children suffering from ustry But ln some open sores distended stomachs. British companies were found and weakened limbs.

A Zulu to be paying wages that seem interpreter and a University of low even by South African Natal lecturer accompanying standards, me said the children had Whites Portland Cement, kwashiorkor, a disease caused which is 76 per cent owned bv by protein and vitamin Associated Portland Cement, deficiency. pays hundreds of its African The farm manager of New- workers at its Liehtenberg lands Estate near Pietermaritz- Plant wages of just over 3 a burg, controlled by Slater week. Mr Brian Harvey, a pro-Walker's subsidiary, NataJ cess control engineer who emi-Tanning Extract, acknowledged grated from England over a that malnutrition was rife year ago to work for Whites ermuda hunt for killers From SIMON WINCHESTER, Hamilton, March 11 What can I do about it he months to the day after the kill- asked. A distraught Zulu father shocked when he saw how the on Natal Tanning's Boscombe company treated its African Estate, earning 24p a day said: employees. My child is dying but I cannot Four Africans one of whom buy milk.

I must earn more spoke nine languages worked money." under him mending boilers. The farm manager dismissed They earned only 81p an hour the malnutrition sores as flea- for a total wage of about 4 a bites and said that he himself week. He said the Africans received plenty of milk. Any lived eight to a hut with only that was left over after he had the crudest facilities in con-fed the dogs was given to the crete compounds surrounded Bantu" by 9ft fences topped with This was perhaps an extreme barbed wire. Their food, about case.

Other British companies, which they bitterly complained, however whose South African consisted chiefly of mealie meal subsidiaries are paying substan- wjth scraps of meat twice a vw: i. The company we keep 11 at Liehtenberg, said he was week. They treat the Bantu workers like machines in fact, machines are better looked after," said Mr Harvey. "They're getting their profits and they just coukln give a damn how the Bantu live." The company secretary of Whites Portland Cement, when asked ahnnt t.hp low at Liehtenberg, said that other companies the area were paying less. This is just an unfortunate time you raise this matter," he said.

We are having negotiations with the Wages Board anJ wages will shortly bo reviewed." Illovo Sugar Estates, a subsidiary of Tate and Lyle, pays 3,000 contract workers Turn to page 4, col. 3 ins of the islands police com- missioner. Mr George Duckett. Scotland Yard detectives had been on the island until only two weeks aeo in an unsuccess- ful investigation of that killing, The assassinations took place while most of Bermuda's unarmed police force were at the semi-annual police ball. As Sir Kichard.

who tooK over as Governor from Lord Marton- mere only in August, was walk- ing his dog with his aide, a number of shots rang out the lone policeman at the Govern ment House gate ran to the spot to find the two men and Sir Richard's great dane dying. Government House, which lies on a hill to the north of ILmlllnn i i i 1 oacu tr. A state of emergency was declared in this island just after noon today as police including two senior Scotland Yard detectives combed the towns and countryside for the killer or killers of the island's Governor, Sir Richard Sharpies. Sir Richard and his aide-decamp, Captain Hugh Sayer, were murdered just before midnight last night as they were walking in the grounds of Government House They had been shot to death. The Bermuda police commissioner, Mr L.

G. Clarke, announced late this evening that a further large detachment of senior Scotland Yard detec- tives, including a police com- mander, would be flying here immediately. Mr Clarke named them as Commander John Morrison, deputy coordinator of the Regional Crime Squad. Chief Superintendent Gordon Powell, enter; there was apparently no though they are generally need for restrictions in an reckoned to be ill-organised island where there have been and very small. Nevertheless les than half a dozen killings tneowere serious riots here in the past decade, and where in 196S.

and the islands peace-there almost total absence has been marred on of serious crime occasions by small eruptions Scotland Yard was alerted Political discontent. uai uuuiuerb wen uemw uie poverty datum line include Associated Portland Cement. Tate and Lyle, Metal Box, Cour-taulds. General Electric. Reed, Rowntree Mackintosh.

Chloride Electrical. Associated British Foods and British Leyland. Mr W. E. Luke, chairman of the United Kingdom South Africa Trade Association, acknowledged that there were real grounds for concern All I can say is there are some British firms whom I am not proud of.

But we can't tell our members what their morals should be. I would very much like to see wajes increased." he said. British companies payins Single gleam of hope A STRIKE ol civil servants today, coupled with a hangover from Sunday's rail closedown, makes for another gloomy start to the week. Of the two other major industrial disputes, only one shows a glimmer of hope. Leaders of the gasmen meet within the next day or two to consider the employers' latest pay offer, but there is no hope of an early end to the action by hospital ancillary- workers.

Reports, pane 5 ABOUT 150 volunteers who run a small private railway line between Bridgnorth and Kidderminster have threatened to strike if Sir Gerald Nabarro does not resign as chairman of the controlling companies: The threat follows the dismissal of the line superintendent. The line is due to open for the summer season this month. POLICE arrested two men yesterday and charged each with arson and the murder of 15 people in a nightclub lirebomhing in Brisbane, on Thursday. James Finch, aged 28, an Englishman, and John Andrew Stuart, aged 32. were arrested after the Queensland State Government bad offered a 28.000 reward.

AN ICELANDIC coastguard vessel cut both trawl wires of the Hull trawler Ross Canaveral off the North coast after she had refused to leave the 50-mile fishing zone. THE GUARDIAN selections, compiled by Chris Hawkins, went through the card at Ayr on Saturday seven selections, seven winners, for an accumulator of 4.487-1. Richard Baerlein was also on the mark with his nap and double Horatio (5-2) and Lanzarote (5-2). Racing, page 17 bv transatlantic telephone all shortly after 5 am London time. Detective Chief Supenn- lendent Basil Hadnll, together iMth Detective Chief Superin- tendent Bill Wright caught the and two technical experts who will do "scene of ihe crime investication.

An additional two or three detective-inspec- tors will be flying out in the mirlrilp nf Vio u-ppk This will probably be the biggest squad of Scotland Yard officers ever sent to investigate a crime here. Acting under the emergency Dowers. Dolice arrested a number -of potential suspects this afternoon. One man who was arrested was said to be the you tw tion officer of the Black Beret Cadre, the. Black Nationalist organisation on the island.

The Bermuda Government leader. Sir Edward Richards, called the double killing a horrible tragedy, the enormity of which was staggering to a normally peaceful island People. It was of possible sisnificance. Sir Edward said. thai the murders took place six the death of Mr Frederick Milton was considered.

jjr Milton died from a heart! attack after treatment for fairly minor cuts caused by flying glass after the Old Bailcv explo- sion There are legal precedents i for considering this to be murder but upholding this in court would principally be a matter for medical experts. a discovery of the hrst car oomo. outside New Scotland Yard. Bombing charges likely today By MALCOLM STUART Charges are expected to be Skelhorn, over the weekend announced this morning against about the framing of charges the seven men and three and that a medical report on low wages to their African its employees are, of course, following closely the practice of UK out of EEC float From ANTHONY HARRIS Brussels, March 12 The European Finance Ministers agreed early today to fix exchange rates between themselves, but Britain, with Ireland and Italy, declined to join this system. The Germans, who conceded a 3 per cent revaluation of the mark to persuade the French to participate, also proposed that the Community should study the possibility of European guarantees for Britain's liabilities in 1 i a generous proposal," according to Mr Barber, the Chancellor.

Britain thus emerges from the crisis with the pound still freely floating and has succeeded in (getting something like Mr Barber's demands for unlimited and unconditional support for the pound on to the EEC agenda a considerable triumph for British obstinacy as well as for German generosity. The main point which remains to be settled, after a session which broke up at 2 am, is still that of the dollar. The European countries are no longer obliged to support the dollar in their exchange markets, but there is nothing to stop them doing so. Durinc the long negotiations, however, the French made it clear that they intended to try to stabilise the dollar rate, while the Germans remained reluctant to do so. Alone Any attempt to reach a solution embracing all members of the Community was ruled out early on when it became clear that the other members could not offer the unconditional support for sterling demanded by Mr Earber last week, and that Rritain could not accept the limited and conditional support offered in a plan for a joint float proposed by the EF'" Commission.

For a time it seemed possible that Britain would be entirely on its own since the Italian delegation was divided about whether to the common float plan. They asked for more flexible exchange rates between the European countries than have ruled so far under the plans for European monetary union. It was not clear before the discussions ended whether it was on this ground that they decided to float independently, as Britain will, or whether the crucial issue was one of those that arose over voting, interest rates, and other technical matters. The agreement at one stage began to look as if it would have an unexpectedly easy passage after the French election results put Giscard d'Estamg, tne trench Finance Minister, who had been making loud noises' about defying speculators and defending exchange ratest into a much more accommodating frame of mind. Arrangements on these lines would mean some difficulties for the British Government if.

the independently floating pound showed a tendency to sink this year. One of the unsettled questions is now much help -the stronger European currencies are prepared to give to the British authorities in preventing this. TV and radio 2 Arts 8 Bridge 17 Chess 17 X-words 16 19 Finance 12 14 Home 5-7 Leaders 10 Letters 10 Motoring 15 Overseas' 2-4 Sport 17-19 Women 9 Theatre guide 15 BOAC 10 30 am flight to Bermuda. The fact that Sir Richard Sharpies and Captain Sayer were Killed exactly six monms after the killing of Commis- sioner Duckett has given rise nnce asain to suspicion that there may be some political motive behind the crime, There are a number of parallels between the two sets of killings all the victims were wnue, au weic oiiiu, in positions of authority. The murders were committed at or near the-victims' homes, late at night and at times when the local police force was bound to be depleted (there was a police function on the night of Commissioner Duckett's killing, local sources said).

There are a number of radl- Cal El'DUDS, Oil tllC lSland. he r- oreign umce announced that the funeral of the Gover nor and his aide-de-camp will take place in Bermuda on Friday. Obituary, page 6 North fest women who have been held for questioning by the police since last Thursday's bomb explosion in London. If they are not charged Mr Benedict Birnberg, the solicitor representing two of the women, plans to apply for a writ of habeas corpus. Similar applica- tions could be expected on behalf of the remaining eight Mr Bimberg was again Baby murdered Police in Buckinghamshire Sunday the parents discovered began a murder hunt yesterday their child was missing, after the body of a baby boy The baby was found yester-had been found in a ditch near day afternoon several hundred his home in Wendover.

near yards irom the familv's bunga-Aylesbury. low in Nashleigh Road. Wen-Last night police named the dover. It is believed that he child as Jonathan Snasdell, the may have been taken from his son of Mr David Snasdell. a cot by someone who forced the television editor.

window of his room. Superintendent Brian Waite. Detectives from Aylesbury who is leading the hunt, warned police station made house4o- all parents last night to take house inquiries yesterday and all precautions possible" with stopped cars to ask whether their children. He said that the anything suspicious had been killer was a maniac." seen the previous night He said that the baby had It is understood the baby has last been- seen at 8 pm on a 2-year-old brother. The Saturday when put to bed by parents and a grandmother had his' mother.

At 9 40 am on moved recently from Elstree. aifora'to) staym ILoaiidkm? refused permission yesterday to accused of being involved in the see Miss Dolores Price and her bombings would also certainly sister, Mainn. at Ealing police involve a conspiracy charge, station. I have never had to which carries an "unlimited wait for such a long period with- sentence out access to a client" he said Tne 10 peop)e held Ealing It is understood that the were all taken from a Dublin-police consulted the Director of bound plane Heathrow on Public Prosecutions. Sir Norman Thursday morning, after the Gaullists win clear majority From RICHARD SCOTT, Paris, March 12 was incensed by President Pom-pidou's last-minute televised intervention on behalf of the Gaullists and their allies.

Tn Hip Office rentals in the City of London have risen very sharply during the last few years and have now reached figures between 10 and 1 2 a square foot. On average, each person we employ occupies a little over 100 square feet of working space, so that in the City of London the cost to us is more than 1,000 a year per head of staff. The equivalent figure in the Knutsfordareaisnomorethan150ayear. 99 Mr. W.

G. Bryan, Deputy Chairman of BARCLAYS BANK announcing that Barclays are moving a large part of their head office activity from London to Knutsford in the North West. (Press conference 4th October, 1972). They have been regularly questioned by carefully selected teams of detectives since then. The Price sisters are the daughters of a veteran Belfast Republican, Mr Albert Price, who is believed to be in Dublin.

Miss Dolores Price, aged 22, is a teacher, her sister, Mairin, is aged 19. Mr Birnberg has been briefed to represent them by the National Council for Civil Liberties. The NCCL's legal officer, Mr Larry Grant, was critical yesterday of the delay in charging the people removed from the plane. Mr Grant said We regard the situation as very serious. Fundamental liberties must be maintained, more particularly when the crime under investigation is grave.

"No one believes that the police have an easy task but there still can be no justification to hold people incommunicado for four days, refusing access to lawyers and offering no prospect of either charge or release." Mr Birnberg said, he would continue with his writ when the High Court opens at 10 am unless charges were announced and a court appearance takes place. Michael Zander, back page The Gaullists and their allies have made a better showing than expected in yesterday's second round of the French general elections ana nave again won an absolute majority in the National Assembly. Although the Gaullists themselves have lost a considerable Polling EARLY today, with results for 483 of the National Assembly's 490 seats declared, the state of the parties was Gaullists and allies 371 Communist Socialist alliance and other left-wing parties 181 Reformists 28 Extreme Right 3 The GaplUsls and their supporters thus won a 90-seat majority over the Union of the Left; an absolute majority of 59. number of the seats they won in 1968, they and their part- ners can now continue 10 govern tne country and can continue to follow their old policies should they choose to do so without help from the Refonnists Amone th individual defeat of the Foreign Minister. Maurice Schumann; the former Gaullist Minister, Sanguinetti (who lost in Tou- Savary) and Jeanneney, another former Gaullist Minister, who recently joined the Reformists.

The Justice Minister, Renfi Pleven, also lost his seat. The smallness of the Gaullists majority in the new Parliament is generally expected to cause them to adopt a more liberal social programme and possibly a more forward-looking attitude towards Europe. Certainly this was what Gaullist leaders were heavily hinting at. almost oromisins. in a numhpr statements last night Among the victors are J.

J. Servan-Schreiber, chairman H16 aoi arty and cc- chairman of the Reformists Jacques aoustene, a tormer 9ios? collaborator of General de Lec 'et the other Reforms clchairmar? Chaban DeSna Si'e former iw" Minister- Pewefittc th! Fontanel, the Centrist-Gaullist Mollet, the former Socialist leader was returned, were Abeun, the Refor- mist secretary-general Deferre, mayor of Marseilles Fure; leader of the Lecat, the Government spokesman Marc Lejeune, theSoclalist who rejected his party alliance with the Communist Party; and J1 Mitterand. the Socialist leader. Not surprisingly, the Left or sort of presidential svstem which has developed under Pompidou, it was not to be expected that he would be any- wing nut fiercely partisan he was. What particularly irritated the was that the national ra1' and television networks had been closed to all campaign statements by anyone but the JkJld Forster Wltn victory assured for the Gaullists and their traditional allies, the Prime Minister.

Messmer, promised late last night that the Government would secure the renewal of France that the electors obviously desired. Messmer did not specify what he meant bv renewal (or renovation or what he thought the voters wanted. Earlier tn the evening. Turn to back page, coL 6 For details of possibilities for affik development in the Clifford F. Chapman, Director, North West Industrial Development AssociatknV Brazennose House, Brazcnnose Street, Telephone: 061-834 6778..