Liberal?

Recent events have proved that the students of Victoria—usually so apathetic that they are content to leave all affairs in the hands of a few enthusiasts (often, naturally enough, somewhat of extremists)—nevertheless do arouse themselves when they are, however mistakenly, seriously mis-represented. It is to be hoped that this will be no isolated occurrence, but that from now on in every phase of College activity, there will be more representative action than has been the case too often in the past. We have at last shown that we can prevent too-vocal minorities (who may, of course, still express their personal political views in "Salient" or elsewhere) from dragging in with them the unwilling and dissentient majority.

At the same time, could we perhaps commence a new era in an allied direction? The now-well known Debating Club motion this year reversed the traditional tenor of such messages of congratulation or condolence that have become so notorious a feature of Victoria. It is humiliating, to say the least, that it should have taken so long for us to realise what should have been apparent all the time to ourselves and what has been amply apparent to others—that such actions are uncalled for, in the extreme. We are, after all, a University College of no little importance as such and of longstanding dignity and tradition in our own right—must we for ever indulge in adolescent exhibitionism to alienate public sympathy and to make ourselves ridiculous by endeavouring to assume an international importance to which even our country is scarcely entitled?

Perhaps in future both conservative and radical elements may refrain from associating themselves with Otahuhu Railway Workshops and the Watersiders' Union as wouldbe New Zealand Foreign Offices.