Burden for Local Unionists

The first signs of a Unionist revolt over the new city of Craigavon have come. The patchwork facade of Unionist Unity hiding the true facts about this now tottering monument to 50 years of injustice is cracking. County Armagh Unionists, especially the extremists, are showing signs of disenchantment with their new toy and their mounting discontent has begun to break through the barrier of silence imposed by their traditional loyalty to Stormont.

Money, of course, is the real point of complaint. Their own money. Armagh Unionists have just discovered that Craigavon and its various services have to be paid for, and that as county ratepayers they will have to cough up a major portion of the cost. And they don't like this at all.

The new critical Unionist attitude to Craigavon came in a pointedly anonymous letter published in last week's "Ulster Gazette", a proPaisley Co. Armagh weekly. (The "Gazette" features prominently every burbling rant of the 'Great Godman! and his local acolyte, Rev. S.B. Cooke, but refuses to print material submitted by the local P.D.). The letter, which the editor Ulster Government would not countenance any scheme that would upset the voting balance between Protestant and Roman Catholics in the area"’. He pointed out that this kind of calculation would make Craigavon not only morally wrong but unviable and resigned in protest.

Now as the slow build-up of population continues, the Unionists are beginning to panic. Immigrants to the new city who are traditional Unionist voters tend to take a short look at Craigavon, at Goodyear, at the facilities, at the wages, and fly back home to their Belfast ghettos. Anti-Unionists, usually Catholics, having nothing worthwhile to fly back to, tend to hang on. And so it has come about that the voting balance is tilting against the Unionists.

No wonder right-wing extremists in the rest of County Armagh are beginning to react against Craigavon.

Why should they subsidise another Bogside, Falls, Newry, or Strabane? What with the ailing shipyard the sick aircraft industry, the rising unemployment, the fly-by-night factory magnates, the general unrest, they have quite enough burdens to shoulder without the additional burden of a Papist Craigavon.

Unionist manipulators throughout the province are now cynically using local cultural and sporting enthusiasts to palm off their pathetic ''Ulster 1971" fiesta on otherwise indifferent local organisations.

By way of a blue-print take how it's being done in the 'new city of Craigavon. Charlie Cooper, Unionist ex-Mayor of Portadown now raking in the cash from his cushy Craigavon Public and Social Relations Officer job, is stage-managing the attempt to con local or -ganisations into boosting "Ulster 1971". Charlie ('Dare to be a Daniel') has formed a committee to organise the annual Craigavon Festival Fortnight from 24th May to 13th June next year. Much the same as last year, and so on, he'll tell you.

But this time Charlie wants the local annual festival to link up with "Ulster 1971". He has called his latest venture the "Ulster 1971 Craigavon Festival Fortnight", all in one mouthful.

The organisations usually involved don't particularly mind offering their services and facilities to celebrate Craigavon, but many of them object strongly to this calm bland tie-up with Stormont's whitewaghing carnival. They know that