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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 13, No. 7. April 20th, 1950

Economics and Freedom

Economics and Freedom

Congress remit in favour of continued campaigning for increased bursaries was referred to NZSLF, original proponents of the Bursary Scheme approved by NZUSA in 1948, for concrete proposals to hand to the Minister. Otago dissented. Sallow President McCoy: "Bursaries are quite adequate already!" Other colleges showed considerable enthusiasm. Lincoln added a demand for increases in Junior and Senior Scholarships.

"That NZUSA collect and collate from all Colleges information concerning student hostels, and to negotiate with the Minister of Education for securing adequate hostel facilities in all University centres," had only AUC's disapproval. VUC undertook to draw up a questionnaire and lead the campaign.

Another Congress resolution, that supporting "free speech in student papers" (shades of Prof. Board v. Salient) was loudly supported by VUC and CUC. Said Mills, "We aren't going to be treated like a lot of school kids!" Solidly conservative Roderick Smith, AUC: "We happen to believe in good taste and good manners." We could see their halo. The motion was lost.

The Peace Manifesto likewise received Victorian and Canterburian support only. WFDY affiliation was upheld by VUC alone, and an ignorant attack on the organisation was angrily rebuffed by Holm.

The reply to Sir David Smith's delirium about "heretics" in the University was left in VUC's arms alone. But OU seconded a positive resolution "that NZUSA declares its opposition to any proposal to exclude anyone from a University appointment on the grounds of his political conviction." Smith (again!) saw it as a dilemma: "To give these people (presumably the Communists) freedom to dominate us, or to exclude them from freedom in order to safeguard our own freedom." Ireland (CUC—long, lank): "If a lecturer propagandises in the lecture-room, he is undesirable whether red or blue." Kelly (OU): "If our way of life is to stand the test, then Communists most be given freedom so that both can run the gauntlet of open discussion." O'Brien: "That is the basis of a University!"

Miller favoured the setting up of a sub-committee to assure the defence of acadamic freedom. With O'Brien, he agreed that the question would increasingly become an issue affecting the New Zealand University. But it was referred back to Colleges for discussion.