THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

A memorial service on behalf of the members of the Dundee and district friendly societies who had made the supreme sacrifice was held in the Foresters’ Large Halls, Dundee, yesterday. The number of members belonging to the societies who enlisted was 4,182, of whom 500 had been killed in service. Rev W. Major Scott, Ward Chapel, delivered a sympathetic address, in the course of which he said that any bereaved heart need not have fear concerning the future of those who had passed from their side.

50 years ago

The Scottish National Party is against joining the Common Market and “No voice, no entry” will be one of the major planks in its General Election campaign. Party chairman, Mr William Wolfe said: “If Scotland is dragged kicking and screaming into the Common Market, thousands of our workers will have to emigrate to Germany, France and Italy. The price of butter in our shops will soar to 7s 4d a lb, beef to 16s 3d a lb and lamb to 20s a lb. And we will be subject to political control by the Eurocrats of Brussels.”

25 years ago

Japan’s worst earthquake in nearly half a century has killed at least 1,805 people and left overstretched rescue services searching desperately for another 1,036 thought to be missing in the rubble. Some 6,337 people were said to have been injured in the quake, which reached 7.2 on the Richter scale and toppled buildings, twisted major road and rail links and set off raging fires in the port city of Kobe. Fires were raging more than 15 hours after the quake, which struck at dawn on a bitter winter night.

One year ago

Scores of jobs at a Fife laundry and workwear firm are facing the axe amid fears the company’s local base is to close. Around 70 members of staff at Elis, which was formerly known as Berendsen, have been told their roles are “at risk” of redundancy as management seek to close the Kirkcaldy facility and move all operations to the company’s recently-opened site near Glasgow. The move comes less than a year after assurances from the firm that it would keep the linen processing plant at Randolph Industrial Estate open.