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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 30, No. 8. 1967.

Editorials

page 6

Editorials

June 30, 1967

Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of VUWSA.

"Insight" editor resigns

An interpretive periodical has always been lacking in the machinery of New Zealand Churches.

"Insight"—a quarterly published by the Catholic Society at Auckland University—was hailed as a much needed stimulant in this field. For a year, the magazine has enjoyed a rising circulation.

Issues discussed included: Catholic education in New Zealand, celibacy, the Vietnam war, the Church in a changing world, pacificism, birth control and other controversial topics.

At least half of the contributors were clerics—both liberal and conservative, and a large number were university graduates.

Poet James K. Baxter and Fr J. Keeble were among the liberal contributors, while Fr Duggan and Mr. P. Hills figured on the conservative line up. "Insight" had that degree of balance among its contributors that makes for a truly abrasive approach.

In May this year Archbishop Liston of Auckland criticised the publication as being brash and superficial. He did not reply to a letter asking him to specify which particular articles came within this category.

The Archbishop's criticism was quite out of keeping with the Vatican Council's declaration on religious freedom. "Every man has a duty and therefore the right to seek truth in matters religious."

A week after the Archbishop penned his criticism, the then editor of "Insight" resigned. There can be little doubt that pressure was exerted.

Such action by the Archbishop must be regarded as a direct misuse of episcopal authority. It can only serve to alienate the inquiring mind.

If any form of Christian belief is to have relevance to the modern world, notions of protectionism can not be allowed to interfere with the stimulation of genuine inquiry. A religious society at a university should feel free, and be encouraged, to promote discussion, unhindered by episcopal tags.

The fate of "Insight" is the more hard to understand in the light of trends shown by the general Catholic press over the last year. A clear broadening of political, social and religious outlook has been in evidence.

Last year the Pope suggested that Bishops retire at 75. This has largely been followed in Europe and America. Archbishop Liston is in his late eighties.

Publication of "Insight" is to continue, but the tone has been set. There is little hope that the balanced and open minded approach (as shown in the first four issues) will continue.

In its capacity for self criticism, the Catholic Church in New Zealand seems intent on lagging behind the Church's international trends. G.P.C.

Xmas work in Australia

The deteriorating employment situation may drastically affect students' Christmas vacation incomes this year.

It has been estimated there will be about 16,000 unemployed by the end of the year.

The majority of these will be manual workers who will be competing for the unskilled work students seek during the long vacation.

When one considers the annual crop of school leavers will also be on the labour market about the same time, the problem looms even larger.

Some students may not get satisfactory jobs at all. However, most will find themselves unable to obtain employment for the desired period. That is, many will take up to a month to find a job. And the work obtained will neither pay the wages, or more important still, offer the overtime normally available.

While the situation calls for moves to raise bursaries the immediate future must be considered.

The solution to the problem appears to be work in Australia over the vacation. For despite unemployment figures the Australian economy because of its greater size and strength, is more able to absorb large quantities of unskilled labour than is New Zealand.

The implications of say 10,000 students working in Australia over the vacation, are enough as KJH once said, "to make the mind boggle."

1. Sudents would earn more money.

2. The Student Travel Bureau (STB) would net at least £25,000 which could be used to benefit students in all sorts of interesting ways. One would be to employ a full-time education officer.

3. The economy would gain approximately two and a half million pounds of overseas funds which students would bring back into the country.

4. The unemployed wouldn't have to compete with students for work and this means fewer on the dole.

5. Students would gain the benefits normally associated with a trip overseas.

6. Air New Zealand (Government owned) would fly the students across the Tasman and the revenues gained would help pay for the DC8 that crashed.

7. And last but not least student newspapers declining advertising revenues would be countered by the advertisements Air New Zealand and the STB would give to the whole scheme in a massive publicity drive during the last term.

The only people who would lose would be the Australians and they don't count as they have managed so far to get the better of us on the trade setup.

Thus students who can raise about £45 are advised to obtain a STB concession return fare to Australia to soak up the sunshine and bring back enough dollars to finance the Government and themselves for the coming year. B.G.S.