FROM THE ARCHIVES

25 YEARS AGO Press freedom must be defended even if it means taking on the Government, Mr Colin Mailer, president of the Guild of British Newspaper Editors said. Newspapers must fight the threat of “bully boy tactics” that would be imposed if the Government went ahead with laws which it said would make the press more responsible. Newspapers were sometimes guilty of excesses, but such occasions were “certainly rare enough to offer no cause for the threatened introduction of repressive legislation”. 50 YEARS AGO Miss Alma Cogan, one of Britain’s highest paid women singing variety stars, died yesterday in Middlesex Hospital. Known as “the honeycoloured thrush with a chuckle in her voice” and as the most magnificently gowned star in British show business, she was admitted to hospital in September when she was flown back from Sweden after collapsing on tour. It was understood she was suffering from a spinal injury. 100 YEARS AGO A scarcity of sugar in two of their institutions was reported at a meeting of Govan Combinations Parish Council yesterday. Mr Montgomery, the convener, said it was true the institutions had been very bare of sugar. Hawkhead had not been so bad for the last 10 days, but Merryflatts was without sugar on Monday and Tuesday. On Sunday he learned there was only sufficient for their breakfast. They were only getting small supplies, no more than a bag or two at a time. 150 YEARS AGO At the Western Police Court yesterday, before Bailie Murray, a cab driver named Robert Henry was charged with having furiously driven a horse and cab along James Watt Street on the 13th instant. He pled guilty, and was sentenced to pay a fine of 21s, failing payment 30 days’ imprisonment. When originally checked for the offence Henry gave a fictitious name and address, and a wrong badge number to the police.