March 31, 1967

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of VUWSA,

National body needs reform

The latest crisis NZUSA has passed through suggests attention to it's financial basis is long overdue.

Auckland's refusal to compromise must be condemned. There is no reason why NZUSA should be effectively 'killed' because of inept leadership at Auckland.

If it were not for the successful move by the Victoria delegation to obligate Auckland, legally to the extent of £980 and morally for the balance of their true levy (about £400 more) NZUSA might as well have closed down.

Clearly the present set-up is unsatisfactory. There has been a financial crisis in each of the last three years for different reasons. An organisation cannot expand and be respected while it exists on such Shaky foundations.

Planning programmes is becoming impossible. Capable students are less interested in holding positions on the body.

NZUSA must be put on a solid financial footing. The logical way would be to adopt the Australian practice and impose a levy on each student. A levy of just 5/- per student would realise nearly £6000.

This sum would permit the realisation of some objectives currently talked about. It would allow each student association to budget accordingly. Such a system would help NZUSA Councils to become a forum of constructive discussion instead of the wrangling and destructiveness so prevalent at the moment.

An organisation which knows in advance its income is in a better position to constructively consider the best way to spend it.

Until NZUSA is in that position students can expect to read more about financial shambles in the sphere of higher students politics.

B.G.S.

Shand comments

When a person walks into a coffee bar, has his coffee, and leaves having set the table on fire, there is something drastically wrong with his value perspective. When this person is a student and chooses the university coffee bar for his misdeeds, his values are so out of joint that one wonders if he should be accorded the privilege of remaining a student.

Just this did happen in our own coffee bar. It is certain that the table was purposely set alight—the table-cloth was set on fire only after it had been firmly stuck to the table by melted wax. As the attendant was returning a group of students made a hurried exit.

There is a possibility that the table will have to be replaced out of coffee bar funds. A loss the account cannot stand.

Add to this regrettable tale the reports of increased stealing from satchels, pockets and library desks. It seems the very ink in the student's pen is threatened.

Perhaps it was this type of irresponsibility that the Minister of Labour (Mr. Shand) had in mind when he pleaded with the delegates at NZUSA council to do their utmost to keep "way out" behaviour to a minimum. If it was, then we heartily endorse his remarks.

There would be little point in doing a university course if one did not question the accepted values of society. But this does not give a licence to completely disregard those values.

There would be little point in coming to university without objecting to the staid conformity of our society. But again this does not permit replacing conformity with blatant destructiveness.

Let us hope that Mr. Shand's comments find their mark (though we fear it is a futile hope) and that we, as students, do come to realise that we maintain a privileged position in a society already freer than most. Our academic status must not become the victim of our own excess.

Excess does raise its putrid head when a coffee bar, run by students, for students, at a nominal cost, suffers the abuse wrought upon it at Victoria. G.P.C.