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Editorial Raves

The students have stated loud and clear precisely where they stand on the dismissal of the office manager, Mrs Goodall.

But before the 'Goodall Affair' is closed forever, we must assess exactly what was achieved, and what is still to be achieved.

The Special General Meeting last Wednesday rejected the Executive's reasons for dismissing Mrs Goodall, after a long time spent finding our precisely what those reasons were. The main complaint seemed to be the manner in which the dismissal took place, and the need for the protection of the office from the whims of student executives.

However, because of several constitutional wrangles the meeting was thwarted from putting full impetus behind a move to guarantee the position of the office staff. Instead it became embroiled in whether or not several individuals should be roasted for what they had done.

Thanks for this must go to our constitutional experts, (many of them prominent comrades from the Student Teachers' Association) who are so ready to talk of democracy, but so ready to put red tape in the way of real student demands.

Robert Lithgow eventually moved that a bill of rights be set up for office staff, and that an investigation be made of office conditions including the office manager's position

Salient believes that this motion should not be buried away in a dark comer amongst the arguments and counter-arguments that have followed the SGM.

Many of the executive members who voted for the original dismissal motion have continued to focus their attention on a justification for their actions rather than forgetting the hassles and taking a long hard look at the position of the office workers.

While Salient believes that there was definitely a right and a wrong in the dismissal decision, that particular part of the play is finished. It cannot be reversed.

The students at the SGM voted for the future. So, let's get on with it.

— John Ryall

Professor Quirk, a world authority in English Language studies, is touring New Zealand as a Commonwealth Prestige Fellow. His publications include such standard works as 'An Old English Grammar' (1955), The Use of English' (1962), and 'The English Language and Images of Matter' (1972). He is chief author of 'A Grammar of Contemporary English' (1972), the most comprehensive synchronic description of English grammar ever written. Professor Quirk was awarded the C.B.E. in the New Year Honours List.