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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 37, Number 2. 13th March 1974

Union Fees for what?

Union Fees for what?

Dear Sir,

In the only issue of 'Salient' last year which had any meat in it some foreign student (Kiwi students are too supine to complain about anything) drew attention to the large number of Union officials and ancillary staff getting soft cushy jobs with fat salaries at student expense

Student union fees are now increased to an all time high of $25.50 this year.

I think it is a scandal that poor students (and that is the majority) are blackmailed into having to go to the upper storey cafeteria to get a decent balanced meal at a cost of $1.10 minimum, without sweets or third course.

This compares with 56 cents at Wellington Polytechnic where the meals are not heroic but do at least contain some vegetable or vitamin c.

Congratulations to your new 'catering manager' Graeme sombody or other whose picture appears in the Handbook for 1974.

Even a School Certificate student knows that the human being needs vitamin c in a decent balanced meal. About 90% of students are forced to patronise the lower cafeteria. When I had my $1 meal on the upper storey cafeteria (which is there for the rich students as distinct from the common herd) I saw the House Manager and others of his cronies eating there. They are so well paid that-they can afford to patronise this expensive restaurant. I cannot afford to pay $1.10 for a two course meal even if it is balanced. Even the station caf at the Railway does not charge so much to railway passengers.

Secondly, being a member of NZUSA at such terrific cost does not entitle the poor student to join various clubs, tramping clubs etc, without paying still further. He has to pay 50c to join each club. Why?

Thirdly, travel concessions. Fifty per cent "concession" for travel is provided for NAC travel only, i.e. to go and see Mt Cook. Who would have the money (or the time) to go and see Mt Cook? Once again the rich students are favoured, the poor students are ignored.

It would be some good if students could get rail concessions travelling to and from Petone or Lower Hutt for example. No luck. Only students below the age of 18 or 19 are entitled to rail concessions from the Polytechnic, I don't think the University offers even that.

Fourth, complaining about the arbitary charges at the University bookshop. These are also galling to students. I mentioned the fact that students pay more than $5 for a set of German textbooks which is purchasable at Whitcoulls for only $2.40 or $3 at the most. Nobody will explain. The German lecturers say "tut-tut, what a scandal" but nothing is done.

I sign this article because I know it will never be published as it might offend the new catering manager.

R. Wilkes.

P.S. As an afterthought why are no locker provisions made for students of the Arts and Languages Faculty. The Geology and Chemistry Dept has apparently its share of students lockers (as distinct from staff lockers). Even the library has no individual lockers with locks or facilities for students to supply their own padlocks. Imagine traipsing up and down day after day up the steep gradiant to Varsity in all weathers carrying heavy textbooks and lecture notes for lack of any lockers.