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THE Programme of the Library Association Conference which reached us on April 22nd is one of much interest. Every year increases the difficulty of providing matter which has such appeal that members can say at the close that the time has been spent profitably. The pre‐print of the papers—a rather incomplete affair—raises the thought that Conference time could be better used than in discussions on such “Research Committee” matters as library vans and temporary buildings, excellent as we admit the enquiries and results of them to be. Yet this reflection is accompanied by the certainty that there have been few conferences which have not contributed something of material use to every participator and we still hold the view that more is learned in “a week at one than in months of hermit‐like seclusion.” That last quotation was written in the first edition of Brown's Manual and is valid to this day. Our representatives will write impressions after the event, not by way of detailed report, but as endeavouring to sum up what, if anything, material has been achieved. The report published by the Association usually gives the papers in extenso, but we wish its issue could be delayed long enough to provide more informative records of the discussions. As the best contributions occasionally come from the floor, the bare‐bones notes of the names of speakers and almost telegram‐like utterances they are supposed to have made, which have been the customary report, could be greatly improved.

THE Report of the Committee on Control of Flying, presided over by Lord Gorell, was issued just as this number was on the point of going to press and too late to have its principal features summarized in the body of the paper. Owing to the importance of the report we have decided to deal with it editorially rather than postpone any reference to it for another month.

IN the issue of AIRCRAFT ENGINEERING of August, 1933 it was announced that the Secretary of State for Air had appointed an independent committee to consider the regulations at present governing private flying. the present control exercised by the Air Ministry, and the practicability and desirability of its relaxation. The terms of reference were as follows:—

June 18, 1969 Damages — Evidence — Fresh Evidence — Appeal on quantum — Assessment — Change of circumstances after judgment — Fresh evidence admitted — Amount increased.

In order to succeed in an action under the Equal Pay Act 1970, should the woman and the man be employed by the same employer on like work at the same time or would the woman still be covered by the Act if she were employed on like work in succession to the man? This is the question which had to be solved in Macarthys Ltd v. Smith. Unfortunately it was not. Their Lordships interpreted the relevant section in different ways and since Article 119 of the Treaty of Rome was also subject to different interpretations, the case has been referred to the European Court of Justice.

I HAVE been asked by the Editor, whose powers of persuasion are great, not merely to write an article for the LIBRARY REVIEW but to write one on “The Murray Tradition.” Thus is my labour set and my duty defined—a pleasant labour and an honourable duty. I am grateful to Mr. Macleod, not for extracting a promise to write but for easing that extraction by naming the subject on which I am most willing, and at the same time without a specific invitation should have been most diffident, to write.

As early as 1818 in Marseilles merchants were asking the courts to recognise the legal character of the maritime sale of goods, which was a sale of a bill of lading representing goods at sea in a ship. The courts of Marseilles found suitable to hear and decide cases in accordance with the law merchant despite the lack of authority in the French Commercial Codes. Merchants everywhere began to deal with documents representing goods without waiting to check the goods as it was the practice under the Napoleonic Code. Thus, the transition of the bill of lading from a mere receipt to a negotiable instrument developed by the practice of merchants arranging the sale of goods in transit. The success of the use of bills of lading in international trade is attributable to its negotiable character and its feature as a document of title.

WHERE is that tiresome tram? I'm late already, and yet I've been kept waiting for five minutes for the cursed conveyance. The crowd gathers, so there'll be a rush for it when it does come; and it will play with us that game so poignantly exhibited in Noel Coward's This Year of Grace, and pull up fifteen yards beyond the post. Ah! here it comes…

RETROSPECT is natural at the beginning of a new library year. All over the world of libraries of all kinds the shadow of the general depression has fallen; more heavily perhaps in the United States than here. It is a testing time which has made the enemies of libraries vocal and has also fortunately roused their advocates. On balance, optimism may prevail; and in that faith we wish our readers a happy new year.

MR. AND MRS. MOLLISON left Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire, Wales, at 12.0 noon (B.S.T.) on Saturday, July 22, in their modified D.H.84 Dragon, “Seafarer,” with two 130 h.p. Gipsy Major engines. They successfully traversed the North Atlantic, but crashed owing to the aeroplane overrunning the aerodrome and rosing over on marshy ground, at Bridgeport, Connecticut, 57 miles N.E. of New York, at 3.15 a.m. (B.S.T.) on Monday, July 24. This unfortunate ending to the flight does not detract from the merit of Messrs. De Havilland's performance in converting a standard aeroplane of such small size into a long‐range machine. The details of the modifications carried out are here described.