THE ARCHIVES

100 years ago

The Commons went into Committee of Supply on the Pensions Vote. Mr Hodge (Minister of Pensions), in introducing the vote, said that the name “Pensions Minister” was a misnomer. The greatest part of the Ministry’s work was the reconstruction and re-education of men broken in the war. There had been complaints as to the delay of the Ministry in dealing with specific cases, but within recent months there had been a great speeding up in dealing with inquiries and complaints.

50 years ago

Fife County Council are to produce books called “Portrait of Fife”, costing more than £1 each which will be given out on “appropriate occasions” as mementoes of the county. The County Council heard this yesterday. The County Convener, Mr John McWilliam, had reported on a proposal that a quality publication should be prepared which would reflect the features of Fife. The cost, estimated at £2,394 will be met by the county’s fee fund and copies will be on sale to the public.

25 years ago

A Perthshire lorry driver was rushed to Dundee Royal Infirmary after a horrific accident at Leysmill Quarry, near Arbroath. The 34-year-old driver was seriously injured while desperately trying to stop a 24-tonne Mercedes truck from rolling over the edge of a 90-foot gorge. The man, named as Christopher Armstrong of Methven, was unable to stop the six-wheeled tipper truck from falling down the quarry and he fell with it. The emergency services were called to the scene.

One year ago

Hundreds of hypodermic needles are discarded on Dundee streets with more than 800 picked up last year, shocking new figures reveal. In the city centre alone, community safety wardens pick up a used needle every day. The figures show that across Dundee 846 needles were picked up between January and December 2016. David Liddell, chief executive officer of the Scottish Drugs Forum, said measures such as providing safer injecting facilities was key to tackling the drug problem.