The Conference was ably led, until the election of new officers, by the outgoing acting-chairman, Mr. Gordon Troup, of C.U.C., who together with other members of his committee, have had long associations with W.U.S. (formerly (I.S.S.) since its inception in New Zealand shortly after World War I.

Student Health

The Conference was opened by a discussion, led bf Dr. Douglas of the Student Health Service, on the whole scope of student health and its promotion in the colleges of the University of New Zealand. W.U.S. having as its aim the welfare of students both here and overseas, this discussion set the Conference well on its course, getting as it did to the heart of student needs (both physical and mental) in our own country.

Although in the past the policy of W.U.S. has been largely concerned with foreign relief projects, made necessary by desperate post-war conditions prevailing in many countries, it was decided that more attention should now be given to schemes at home, to be put into effect concurrently with overseas relief.

Arising from the opening discussion the conference came to the conclusion that a great deal had still to be done in the active fostering of student health. Otago has already a student health service employing one full-time and one part-time doctor. This service is worked in conjunction with the Preventive Health Department of the Medical School. It was hoped that similar services would be established in the other colleges—C.U.C. have already made moves in this direction. W.U.S. committees were asked to investigate the whole problem in conjunction with college executives. The Otago committee were also asked to investigate the question of student nutrition. This project will embrace a critical examination of "feeding" in canteens, hostels, digs and flats.

Living Conditions

It was decided to ask local commutes to make Investigations into the living conditions of those students not living at home or in hos page 5 tels. The advisability of employing a lodgings officers with wide functions in each centre was stressed. The problem of accommodation brought us face to face with the question of the difficulty of foreign students' board due to racial prejudice. C.U.C. provided a report on this problem and it was emphasised that this aspect must be continually borne in mind when investigating the wider issues.

These specific projects con be considered as being the result of three years of an uncertain attitude toward the interpretation of the W.U.S. Ideals in the N.Z. University during the transition of thought from relief to that of ever-present student needs which has taken place since the war.

In order to put the programme in its correct perspective and to make the conference informative, three papers were presented to the members. Background and Ideals were covered by the outgoing secretary. Mr. Edward Carter; the problem of interpreting the ideals of W.U.S. into the N.Z. situation, by Malcolm Douglas; and the development and administration of the W.U.S. central international programme of Action, With special emphasis on the universal field of student health., by Miss Pat Morrison.

Besides the above-mentioned projects of a national nature there were minor points raised for specific Local and Dominion Committee interest. However, the two significant points which differentiated this conference from previous ones were the informed and concrete discussions and projects which arose from the interpretation of the University problem and secondly the duty of W.U.S. personnel to make an effort to be informed on all overseas student news, because of the growing interest of N.Z. students in overseas affairs.

—V.U.C. Committee.