6 IN the 1975 referendum, I voted against staying in the Common Market and I retained that view for most of the time.

I must confess though, after listening and reading the biased comments of the anti-European lobby, I am beginning to side with the pro-Europeans.

I don't see how EU bureaucrats differ from our own government appointed quangos, civil servants and members of the Upper House. I am also sure that if, or when we join a Federal Europe, we wouldn't lose our right to vote and elect our own politicians.

It would be nice to hang on to our British pound but according to our captains of industry, our strong pound is costing us dearly in loss of export orders. I can well believe it.

However, through decimalization, Britain gave up most of her former coinage and the origins of some of it were foreign to begin with.

For example; the 'd' in old penny stood for a Greek "denarion", the shilling was a Germanic "scilling", the florin was a French/Italian "fiorino" and our pound is Latin for "pondo". So what else is new?

MR L SPITERI,

Worcester.