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The Norsk Senter for Informatikk A/S (NSI) recently became a privately‐owned limited company. The main shareholders are the Bergens Tidende, Fabritius, IDA (a consortium of three banks), NTNF, Kunnskapsfor‐laget and twenty‐nine of the thirty‐four NSI staff members. Among its new projects will be a videotex network between Oslo and Bergen so that users in Oslo can use the Bergens Tidende videotex service bureau. Under the reorganisation NSI will place more emphasis on being an umbrella IP, on the establishment of closed user groups and development of hardware and software.

As well as the relatively large number of cases of typhoid fever resulting from the Zermatt outbreak, the last few months have seen several outbreaks of both typhoid and paratyphoid in different parts of the country, all having food as the suspected or proven vehicle, except perhaps for the most recent South Shields out‐break, where as yet the source has not been traced, although canned meat is suspected. In small outbreaks it is rarely easy to quickly pin‐point the food vehicle; usually none of the infected food remains; it takes time to confirm clinical diagnoses by bacteriological exam‐ination of sera, faeces, etc., and frequently a food is implicated only by suspicion, although usually based upon good circumstantial evidence.

WHAT WAS DESCRIBED as a “new‐look” Library Association Council, the first constituted under the scheme of reorganisation, met last month at Chaucer House. There were many new faces, especially from the ranks of the university and special libraries, and it was a happy thought on somebody's part to have a roll‐call, so that old and new members could be introduced to one another. The reorganisation of the Association was still not signed and sealed by the Privy Council, but members were informed that approval was imminent, subject to a minor alteration in the audit arrangements. This alteration was speedily accepted by Council and the Privy Council's final approval has now been given.

Recent years have witnessed the growth of a new food problem—foreign matter in articles of food and drink, which are not there by design, but largely by accident and, to some extent, by carelessness, and in the greatest number of cases, resulting from the enormous development of machine preparation of food, mechanisation of packing and bottling processes, as well as the concentration of food manufacturing into larger and larger units. The tide of prosecutions for this type of offence shows no signs of abating; they probably exceed all other offences under food legislation. Nor can they be expected to with this increasing trend in the food industry. The machine operative has replaced the old hand craftsman and it would probably be fair to say that many of the personal objects found in food preparations result from mechanisation, for a cigarette end or other object accidentally dropped into a fast‐moving food matrix is quickly beyond recall! The cases which go to prosecution, however, do not represent by any means all those incidents which are reported to public health and other departments, and these in turn are only a fraction of the cases which are never reported at all.

The enormous danger of enemy influence in regard to the control and management of the food supply of the country and the great evils attributable to this cause justify us in reproducing the following able article by MR. RONALD MCNEILL, M.P., from the Evening Standard of October 26th:—

.Counter Competition. SUPERMARKETS and private shopkeepers battle for business in every High Street. In all shopping centres the private trader competes for the customer's cash with chain and departmental stores. He finds life increasingly difficult in face of rising overheads and shrinking profit margins.

WE have recently published one or two articles in which a contributor with a considerable knowledge of the Chinese economy has described some of that country's industrial activities. The articles have been scrupulously factual and impartial in revealing the ingenuity which has enabled a people desperately short of the technological resources of the industrialised nations to secure for themselves some of life's essentials.

Future legislation relating to the control of the national milk supply formed the subject of discussion in the House of Commons on the 5th March. Although no new points were brought out, the need for fresh legislation was emphasised in this discussion, especially the need for a general Act that would, while giving the central authority increased powers, do away “with the piecemeal, voluntary, and local enactments at present in existence. It is evident that if any radical change in the present system is to be effective it must not only be general as regards this country, but it must also be imperial” and international; inasmuch as it must deal both with the supplies that are produced at home and with those imported from abroad. It would obviously be in the highest degree unfair to the English farmer to make his stock, workpeople, and premises liable to the frequent expert inspection demanded, and, at the same time, to allow milk to enter this country from abroad without the application of an equally rigorous inspection on this side, and without some form of guarantee from the government of the country of origin. In all matters connected with food supply improved methods of preserving and sterilising as well as increased facilities for international commerce have resulted, as time has gone on, in a large number of food preparations of all kinds being thrown upon the markets. The trade in cheese and butter substitutes as well as that in canned and otherwise preserved meats, and the supply of cereal preparations, afford well known instances, and the milk trade is not singular in the circumstance that a considerable and increasing amount of, milk is treated in various ways, both at home and abroad, for consumption in this country.

EVERY so often, somebody comes up with a new idea. Of course, it may be an old idea dressed up, or an idea taken from some other country, so it MUST be good. Always the idea is intended to be the answer to almost every manufacturer's problems. They are seized on, copied, altered, adapted.

The duties of the Public Analyst necessarily bring him more or less into contact with the members of his local authority. His work, like that of the other chief officers, is dealt with by one or more Committees before the results as a whole are submitted to the Council. The actual part played by the Committee or Committees depends on the will of the Council, and is in no way laid down by law. One thing is quite clear, namely, that the jurisdiction of the Committee and of the Council only extends the proceedings prior, and subsequent to the analysis of the samples. The nature of the analyses, the scientific methods employed, and the opinions based on the analytical results are entirely in the hands of the Public Analyst himself. The authority may not agree with him, and may not follow his advice, but unless there is very strong reason for doubting his competence, it is their duty to avail themselves of his expert knowledge and experience, and he is obliged to place his services at their disposal in these directions however inadequately he may be paid.