BRITAIN is to go the polls in a General Election on Thursday, February 28. Parliament will be dissolved tomorrow, and the 21-day campaign - one of the briefest in modern history - will began at once. Political parties in the North-west are bracing themselves for the 'hardest, dirtiest and bloodiest' election campaign in most people's memory.

A 'GO anywhere for 2p fare will be introduced for the elderly, schoolchildren and disabled passengers on Selnec buses from April 1.

SIR,- Last month four bags of 'coal', costing 16s 6d, were delivered to me. Out of two came 57lb. of unburnable slag. The second two produced nearly 45lb. of unburnable slate. If one calculates the approximate cost of the so-called coal left, it works out in the region of 16s per cwt. A pretty penny for a working man to pay.

One wonders is the national coal production figures are based on and include such rubbish, or are we exchanging our good coal for foreign stuff that goes under the name of coal and reaping a rich reward at the same time? Any milkman or farmer who sells milk not up to standard is prosecuted. Why then should action not be taken against the NCB on the same basis? Yours, etc., Starved Out.

THE following is the return of the Registrar (Mr Ashworth) of the Interments and fees for the municipal period ending February 5th, 1874:-

Interments in Church of England ground: Adults, 39, Children 43, Still born 7. Total 89

Nonconformist ground: Adults 23, Children 35, Still born 10. Total 68

Catholic ground: Adults 13, Children 10, Still born 3. Total 26

Fees during the month - £137 10s 3d

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.