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NZSPA and Salient Reporter Angry students through-out the country have taken strong action to prevent any sales of "Masskerade," outside the
Palmerston North area. In some centres threats de-terred Massey sellers, but violence broke out in the streets of Auckland.
Victoria executive is to take steps to stop Massey from selling; Masskerade in Wellington in future.
Wellington was. unintentionally. Massey's golden opportunity last year Victoria's Cappicade was so harshly censored that it was not published and Massey got a clean sweep of the capital.
As a result the issue came be-fore NZUSA last August, which then decided to divide New Zealand into "selling zones" and Massey was bound to accept the ruling.
In Wellington, the Massey stu-dents quit 6000 copies despite the Victoria executive's efforts to stop them.
An executive spokesman said that in the past Massey sellers had posed as Cappicade sellers and, in some cases, had led to bans on Cappicade sellers.
When the Massey students arrived they were ejected from the university and a group of Victoria students went downtown to prevent sales in the city. However, no incidents were reported.
Earlier, the Town Clerk. Mr.
At the last executive meeting, acting president.
Through the Registrar, the Vice-Chancellor and the managing secretary of the student union, he was able to keep Massey sellers off the campus.
Downtown, however. despite efforts by the police and the town clerk. Victoria was not able to force the sellers off the streets.
An executive spokesman accused Massey of deliberately stimulating sales in Wellington, paying sellers in the Capital double the commission of those in Palmerston.
Victoria executive decided to ask NZUSA resident executive to strongly censure Massey for breaking the 1965 Winter Council decision to restrict each university's selling area for the capping magazines.
Executive also decided to ask NZUSA to force Massey to pay 15 per cent commission on their Wellington sales. If carried out this could mean that Victoria might gain in excess of £100.
In Auckland, president
"I was furious that the Masses books were being sold here and gathered helpers to remove as many Masskerades off the street as possible "
Mr. Wood brought the confiscated books back to the Auckland campus and burned about half of them—some 600 copies—in the men's common-room fireplace.
The other 500 or so copies were then distributed free to Auckland students.
Masskerade didn't get to Chrlstchurch and Dunedin.
"It's not sour grapes on our part," said Canterbury president
Mr. Anderson said if sellers came to Chrlstchurch the association would ask for a City Council sales ban.
The president of the Otago University Students' Association (Mr.
The capping controller (Mr.
Salient Reporter
New Caledonia was also the site of an NZUSA work camp last January, when students spent ten days at the mission school at Doneva.
Participants say the camp was rewarding and the trip itself enjoyable.
But they have also criticised NZUSA strongly for administrative bungling and for the nature of the work done at the camp.
The trip was originally promoted as a holiday in Noumea, staying in French homes, during January.
But students actually went in late January, and were billeted in a school hostel.
NZUSA did not confirm the trip itself until late December.
At the work camp, students dug a drain for the school water supply, painted and cleaned class-rooms, husked corn, and picked a trial crop of sunflower seeds.
"This was done." says one of the participants, "with little or no equipment, living on starchy food cooked in a kitchen crawling with cockroaches, with incredibly filthy washing facilities."
Students found labouring work in the tropical jungle physically exhausting.
But they won acceptance from the missionaries, at first sceptical of the student's worth.
One of the party. Miss
Palmerston North: "We will continue to sell in Auckland and Wellington until they can saturate their own markets," "Masskerade" distribution manager
The Publicity raised interest in Palmerston, but press reporters found president
Later, Mr Harrison told NZSPA the official policy was now to stick to city outskirts.
But he would make no move to restrain the sellers nor tell them what to do once it was known they were selling in Auckland and Wellington.
Compensation for the burning would have to be sought by individual sellers, he said, as they were legally responsible for the books.
But capping sources said privately they hoped some of the sellers would take legal action.
Although the Massey Executive claimed only 2000 books had been sent to Auckland and Wellington together, a check revealed that 12.800 books had been sold.
Sellers back from Wellington said they had sold from cars, moving on until a traffic officer told them to get out of Willis Street. They then moved into side streets, carefully avoiding the traffic police.
Bruce Gooding, one of the sellers, was met by Victoria vice-president
Salient Reporter
" There will be more adverts," says Mr. Roger
"Signatures are still coming in," he told Salient. Invitations were sent to people throughout New Zealand to together express their opposition to the current New Zealand policy.
Over 400 prominent person call for the cessation of the bombing of North Vietnam, the withdrawal of New Zealand troops from Vietnam, and the immediate replacement of these combatant forces with extensive non-combatant humanitarian aid in South-East Asia
In a move which Mr. Boshier termed "incomprehensible." the Director-General of Broadcasting clamped down on the advertisement in its original form
It was addressed to the Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives, but the Director-General ruled that it was unacceptable in this form, since it was his opinion that advertisements should not be addressed in this way.
Mr. Boshier says he believes this type of advertising long common overseas—has conider-able value. "People will set just how extensive and solidly based the rejection of this country's Vietnam policy is." he says
Two Views On Work Camps 2, 4
Fiji—Troubled Pacific Island 6-7
Famous Student Hoaxes (Pt. 2) 12
Pettipoint 5
Letters 4
Reviews 8, 11
Sports 5
Editorials 6
If You Wish to travel and contemplate satisfaction of such desires by visiting the South Pacific Islands in a NZUSA work camp party, and in doing so conceal your primarily selfish motives under the cloak of humanitarianism or some such worthy cause, then read the following account of the NZUSA work camp in Fiji.
The Publicity issued by NZUSA looked attractive: Study tours at cheap travel rates and supposedly next to nothing living costs (£6 for four weeks) together with the expenditure of energy in some community work for the underprivileged. Of course, it would be reasonable that such expenditure would result in some gratitude from the recipient, expressed in the form of hospitality that would not otherwise be offered, and thus make the effort beneficial to the donor as well as to the receiver.
To arrive in Suva in a party of close on 30 students, with the lads outnumbered two to one by the lassies; stay in a school hostel in the heart of Suva for around £5 per week (half subsidised by the Freedom From Hunger Campaign or some such organisation): and to find that we are to work for the Rev. Dr. Hemming, administrator of the J. P. Bayley Trust Fund, at planting rice—a scheme that is the brainchild of this one-dimensional Christian to whom work is, and always will be, the greatest virtue, followed closely by more work—did not promise the realisation of the concocted dreams of this gullible idiot.
After a few days further doubts arose concerning the worth of the task, to which we were committed beyond the limits implied in pre-travel circulars. These doubts were further reinforced and magnified by the attitude of the locals who viewed us from afar as if we were insane nuts capable of other violent deviant activities apart from make-believe dirt scratch-ings.
Or perhaps they saw us as posers of some inspirational spiritual notions relating to the virtues of rice planting? As they were all more experienced in the labours and rewards of rice planting, they tended towards the former interpretation of our feeble endeavours.
This article is by R. B. Nicholls, who controlled the Fiji work camp in the absence of former NZUSA president Alister Taylor.
Acting on the grounds of their fairly reliable diagnosis of our symptoms, the locals were not greatly moved in gratitude, but rather regarded with detached amusement.
After one week, in which the now serious drought remained unbroken, the gloom of the prospect of three more weeks of this idiot dirt scratching pastime was momentarily lifted with the news that
As the rain continued to bless other parts of the globe, rice planting was still out of the question, and the ground preparation seemed satisfactorily completed with the aid of a tractor hired from the RNZAF base for an undisclosed sum of money generously provided by NZUSA.
With rice planting waiting on the rain and our Christian landlord busily devising useless schemes to capitalise on the free labour and. in so doing, to glorify his god of work, I decided to exercise my new found position of responsibility and grant the serfs one week's holiday.
This proposition was duly presented to Dr. Hemming (the landlord) to be met. with the retort that if that was our plan we may as well go home now! This was gratitude.
In this one week of rest, no rain fell and many of the students tripped around the islands devouring the many sensations that New Zealand cannot offer. This was profitable.
The last days of the final week brought rain and the obligation to plant rice. This was duly carried out in the time that was left, resulting in about two acres of planted rice and four acres of naked dirt —not six acres of planted rice as the publicity hound
Through all the resulting chaos in Fiji, Alister Taylor's main concern was with the reporters and the publicity potential, rather than with the students or the locals. But to see this yearning for publicity as the only, or even the main, motive is possibly being unreasonably cynical and maybe more reputable intentions are being frustrated in the machinery of the NZUSA bureaucracy.
Even if the aim is purely to benefit the people of the Pacific with no desire for public recognition—imagine NZUSA doing that —such schemes can only be offered to people lacking any vestige of pride or ability if they think that students of New Zealand universities can do something concrete and economically significant during their vacation, that they (the locals) could not do for themselves.
If you offered to paint my house free, I don't doubt that I would accept your offer. But to respect your offer as that of a sane self-respecting man. is another proposition.
Does it give one a mild thrill of superiority or a feeling of big-daddy generosity to think that one, in one's vacation, by stooping to pat the head of some brown-skinned boy, can make the sun rise earlier and brighter for a people who are all too conscious of the cultural differences that are further emphasised in this completely one-sided scheme of patronising giving?
Is it not possible that these hypocritical Pacific excursions may well be in ultimate conflict with the proudly and loudly declared aims of NZUSA travel scheme?
Barely one hundred people attended an "Operation 21" teach-in held at Victoria last Monday.
The "teach-in" coincided with Anzac Day, the arrival of the Queen Mother, and a spell of cold, wet weather.
Four speakers spoke for a period covering about three hours. They were the Rev. Dr. Ian Fraser of Volunteer Service Abroad, Professor B. M. Niculescu and Mr. W. J. Hall, both of Victoria University, and the Rev. H. C. Dixon, national secretary of CORSO.
A number of other speakers were either unavailable or withdrew before the teach-in.
They included Professor K. M. Buchanan, who was unavailable, and Dr. W. B. Sutch and Mr. J. S. Manikiam, both of whom withdrew.
Chairman Mr. J. Shallcrass told the meeting that he hoped they would act as ambassadors of the discussion which took place. The attendance had fluctuated from 55 when the meeting began to 82 during the third speech.
" We are halfway to '1984,' and Orwell's increasingly prophetic novel is coming to be confirmed in detail."
MR. W. J. Hall, of the VUW Asian Studies Centre, told the "Operation 21" teach-in this last Monday. He was speaking on "a way to grow more food" in relation to India's current problems.
"To the extent that the food problem in Asia is solved. New Zealand will be free." Mr. Hall said. "On the solution or lack of solution of the problem of world food supply. New Zealand's future will depend."
Speaking from his personal experience of India. Mr. Hall said that the average Indian today has barely half the amount of food at his disposal that his parents had The average ration available is only two-thirds the adult ration and while millions of children did not need more than this, they were not available for production of it.
He saw four strategies which might solve the problem—economic, social, and administrative revolutions, and external aid.
But only administrative revolution seemed likely to succeed. "The dynamics of a Marxian situation are missing in India (unlike Vietnam)," he said. Land is being handed out in small parcels. The farmers now work for the village moneylender instead of the landlord. Over two-thirds of India's farmers are in debt to village moneylenders.
Attempts by the Indian Government to improve farming yields under the national Community Development programme, and later under a decentralised scheme tried in Rajasthan, had encountered this problem. Increased yields meant merely more for the moneylenders and the farmers had no incentive to work.
He proposes a pyramidal system of bureaucracy, internally disciplined by reinspection at each level, with a credit system for farmers financed from taxation previously levied. The farmers and the moneylenders would be included in this scheme.
"But I don't really think it will be adopted," he said. "It will. rather, be Orwell's '1984'—bombs and terror."
Free Help to poorer nations has, beyond a certain point, a blighting effect on national and personal development. Any feeling of indebtedness by underdeveloped nations to others should be replaced as soon as possible by a position of mutual benefit.
These Points were stressed by Professor Niculescu, speaking on "the economics of hunger" at Monday's teach-in.
Today two-thirds of the world's population is suffering from hunger or malnutrition. Predictions are sharply opposed regarding the situation say. twenty or thirty years hence.
Some forsee large-scale famine and death by starvation. Others, such as Professor Simkin of Auckland consider that with the application of today's knowledge, ten to twenty times the present amount of food could be produced.
Professor Niculescu felt that this figure could be affected by difficulties in applying agricultural knowledge in areas of diverse conditions.
Food, though basic, is not the only necessity. Along with it, the underdeveloped nations need medical care, housing, clothing and education. He pointed out that even these things will be foregone in some measure by people to obtain additional "pleasures" in life, such as smoking, jewellery or spices.
The problem of help for underdeveloped nations is not just one of food but involves a much wider range of many goods and services, said Professor Niculescu.
Though there are some stagnant societies in parts of Africa and Asia, on the whole attempts are being made to reorganise production. These can be either internal, as in China, or there is the possibility of outside help.
Help is obtained from other nations in the form of tools, knowledge, encouragement of trade in return for necessities, and raw materials. Aid given so far has been largely on the basis of capital equipment and technical knowledge, apart from food. This forms a major portion of international help and is the only large-scale raw material aid given.
China, for example, receives a great deal of food though this mostly on a trade basis. India, in the present exceptional famine conditions, is receiving an exceedingly large amount of food.
He felt that if free help were to be given, gifts of food should be combined with technical aid. In this way a strong, well-organised technical understructure would be developed to enable India to move more quickly into the whole field of increased production
To cater adequately for the whole population would take thirty or forty years, taking into account an annual 2 per cent population increase and the fact that under-nourished people cannot work so hard.
Consciousness of world responsibility for the less privileged communities was considered a generally accepted consequence of increased solidarity among nations.
This emphasizes the widening gap between rich and poor nations.
Communities asking for help should ensure that it is temporary and should have a sense of urgency to rectify the situation for otherwise handouts could induce apathy.
As soon as India's present pressing needs are covered. Professor Niculescu said, measures such as greater private investment and a freer flow of population will be necessary.
Critics of overseas projects often forget that we are aiding people, not statistical units. Dr.
Dr Fraser, who represented Volunteer Service Abroad, spoke of this organisation's activities and of the part which the churches play in dealing with problems of hunger.
He said that the introduction of visual-communications such as television brought a new realisation of poverty to underdeveloped countries.
Speaking of prejudices, which he said were serious hindrances to development, he pointed out that a man's purpose in living is frequently his religion.
Man will give up material pleasures for a cause he believes in, he said. Thus, the Indian peasant believes in feeding sacred cows, and we must respect this belief.
He compared the case of a person suffering from lung cancer, who is not refused medical aid merely because he smoked cigarettes which, he should have known, could give him cancer.
Dr. Fraser also dealt with the aid projects of Volunteer Service Abroad, particularly education and economic self-help.
A Film on printing methods supplied by the Japanese Embassy
"I Want to thank all the students who took part in 48-hour call" says
"There was only one hitch—for which I take the blame" he said. "One welfare organisation distributed aid forms to persons who were not really entitled to it. This caused some difficulty and embarrassment to both public and students." Mr. McKinnon says students, elderly people, press, and the general public seem well pleased with the scheme's success.
It Sounds damn silly — some people including Salient's editor still won't believe it—but rumour hath it that one
A Thief—unusual but accurate terra—was recently trapped in the gymnasium by a quick-witted student. He was given short shrift and a lift to the cells by police. This would seem to be thief sea-son (especially now that bursaries are out) and students are warned to be cautious. A little Less faith in human nature!
Charity Collection this year will be a full-day affair next Thursday for the Red Cross. Charity organiser
Concessions Director
Queen Mother's tour will be different from the Royal visits this country has suffered in the past: it will be the first to be actively opposed. These words of cheer. if not cheering, come from the cynically named CORT. or Committee to Oppose Royal Tours, which has just sprung to life in Christchurch. It is led by fourth-year Canterbury law student
The Cafeteria will be open during the May vacation from 9.30am to 3.30pm. Monday to Friday. In the second term Saturday openings will be resumed.
Quote Of The Week: "How is the business of gambling going" asks president Robertson at a recent executive meeting.
"Very well" says House committee chairman
Sir—As an interested person and a participant in both Fijian and Samoan work camps I feel that much of the present spate of criticism about these work camps is either unfair or untrue. I would point out:
1. The criticisms advanced in the article "Student Work Camps not worthwhile" (Salient Vol. 29 No. 3) is neither valid nor applicable to NZUSA work camps. This article was about the New Guinea project organised by the Australian national student body. In Samoa, which receives a snide passing reference, conditions were completely different. Students did not "flock into Samoa as unskilled banana planters."
Those concerned with banana planting, never more than eight of the 15, demonstrated modern planting techniques which they were shown by staff of the Department of Agriculture. This was a constructive task because of (a) the local attitude that outmoded planting techniques are sufficient (b) a banana shortage (c) the hope that one area of a demonstrably larger yield would inspire other villages to adopt modern ideas. Europeans were needed because of the structure of authority in Western Samoa-Samoans only being able to instruct if they hold a senior title.
Students were needed because otherwise European labour would not have been available. This venture was an economic success, the Director of Agriculture estimating that the 58 acres planted would return at least an annual income of £3500. This sum is far in excess of the expense incurred by the Department of Agriculture over the students.
The presence of the student group was appreciated by both Samoans and local Europeans— this welcome being shown in the press, on the radio, and to individual students.
Other students who went to Samoa worked with the Departments of Education and Statistics. These were areas where some qualification or experience was possessed by the students and a shortage of trained personnel existed.
2. Part of the philosophy lying behind the establishment of work camps by NZUSA was that such projects should both afford students an inexpensive method of seeing other areas than New Zealand and some knowledge of how people of very different cultural backgrounds think, work, and live. Work camps are a means to this end—not a fulfilment of idealistic and unreal benevolence.
Far more is to be gained by seeing a country while living and working there than as a tourist. That the Fiji work camp cost students £2000 is quite reasonable, this figure including return air fares and accommodation for a month for 27 students.
3. In neither Fiji nor Samoa did students take "work away from an already under-employed indigenous work force." In western Samoa students were a necessary and practical help. In Fiji, students worked for the only social agency—the J. P. Bayley clinic. This agency had a limited budget and a large amount of land to develop for planting. If students had not been available the work done would have been beyond the resources of the clinic.
The budget of the clinic limited its number of employees to six; students providing extra labour that the clinic would not otherwise have been able to afford The local labour that finished the work was a press-ganged church group—not employed labour as has been implied.
That the Fiji work camp was not an unqualified success is undeniable. The project could have been a better-chosen one, although if a drought had not occurred Mr. Taylor's prophecy that six acres of rice worth approximately £1200 would be planted would have been fulfilled.
Another factor foiling success was, to quote from Mr. Nicholls's wryly amusing article, that the planting of this particular rice was the brain-child of a one-dimensional Christian to whom work was the greatest virtue, followed closely by more work. These two so-called "acts of God" were the main factors responsible for the project's small material returns. However, the project did achieve acceptance of the idea of students' work camps in Fiji.
That this is so is demonstrated by the fact that further students are returning in May to take part in specialised projects where their university training is of help.
For example, a group of four medical students are to help in a campaign against Tb and others are to work in the archives or the museum.
J. Austin
National Director of Work Camps
This Letter has been slightly abridged. We don't normally reply to letters but would ask Mr. Austin the following rhetorical questions:
1. What purpose is served by inflating the value of a work camp seven-fold?
2. What right have students to expect cheap holidays, however educational, merely in order to carry out labouring work (e. g. Fiji or New Caledonia)?
3. The Freedom from Hunger contribution of £400 to the Fiji camp would have hired forty Fijian labourers for four weeks to work for the Bayley clinic. Can students—not even trained in rice planting—justify their cost against this?—Ed.
The following points must noted:
Letters must be doubled-spaced, on one side of the paper only, and should be typed if possible. Letters which are not typed may be delayed one issue. Letters over 300 words will not be printed except by way of right of reply to feature articles.
Sir,—I am delighted to see Salient giving space to the mention of a radio programme (Salient, April 1, p.12). Granted it is the first of a series of plays selected by Professor
Every paper and magazine carries a weekly splurge of reviews, correspondence and preliminary announcements of every footling television programme, while of the excellent fare provided by radio—music and plays both imported and home-grown—no mention is made.
Sir,—Many members of our institute would like to correspond with your people, particularly the student class.
We would appreciate it very much if they are advised to correspond at the following address.
"The Iranian Students Cultural and Correspondence Institute, PO Box 3030, Teheran. Iran.
Thanking you in anticipation.
Sir,—If we ever went to court, your headline "Anglican Paper Libels Salient" would pose an interesting legal question—who has libelled whom?
However, I write mainly to make clear that the three conclusions which you suggest readers would draw from our criticism of your article would be quite unfounded. Church and People has itself published atheistic views, and when we said Salient was free to do the same we meant this literally, and without malice. The two other "conclusions" could not be justified by a reading of our article.
You put your finger on the central issue when you say of your article, "assuming* the facts to be correct." This is what we have called in question. However, even assuming the facts to be correct, your article left so much unsaid that it was hardly a sound basis for sensible discussion. If you want to promote discussion between atheists and Christians—and why not?—let each side respect the sincerity of the other's convictions. Your Murry article was entirely destructive.
Sir,—Many years ago it was pointed out that the utilitarian ethical judgment "the maximum happiness for the maximum number of people" had just one maximum too many. Some 20th century NZUSA utilitarian has come up with the target of "enabling the largest number of students to reach the highest level according to their ability." I await clarification on what NZUSA means— that is, assuming that they mean anything at all.
Sir,—Regarding your editorial of April 1, "Operation 21 doesn't impress."
Is the aim of Operation 21 to impress? By limiting his comments to the impact value of the leaflet. "Youth Against Hunger." the editor is obscuring the importance and urgency of the real problem, that of relieving present hunger.
Is the editorial sufficiently relevant to warrant its deterrent effect? It seems unjustly destructive of a youth movement to which NZUSA has lent our support.
Has the sophisticated Mr. Ren-nie any solution for relieving the hunger of starving people, other than the "naive" one of feeding them?
Grave Doubts about the future of Easter tournament were expressed by members of the NZUSU sports council at their Easter meeting.
Many Delegates saw Easter tournament fast approaching unmanageable proportions as regards sole student organisation. Some delegates even suggested the extreme solution of disbanding Easter tournament in favour of small sports meetings between individual university sports clubs.
Easter tournament has fast become an institution of top importance in the university sports calendar, but as time goes on the tournament is involving greater and greater numbers of people in giving up more and more of their own time.
The question of the future of Easter tournament was brought up by the Auckland delegation, not so much on the grounds of time people were prepared or not prepared to give up but rather more on problems of billeting which have now reached mammoth proportions. At Dunedin this did not constitute a major difficulty, where the response by the city people gave the organisers roughly 360 billets more than were required.
However in cities such as Auckland and Wellington where our guarantee of public support is not great billeting causes a great deal of heartache.
The advantages of Easter tournament are many. Not only does it facilitate sporting and social mixing on a grand scale between the six universities, but also enables our various national student organisations such as NZUSA and NZSPA to meet at the same time and iron out differences.
Many contacts are made between the universities not only on the official level, but also on the sporting and social levels. Much is gained by discussing various student problems at the one time when all official organisations run by students are together.
Most disadvantages and problems associated with running a tournament are obvious, arising from its size and the scale of organisation.
On the sporting side delegates felt that generally sporting standards would rise with the breakdown of tournament into a number of separate meetings.
This could well be. no-one would argue that the social side of tournament has begun to assume new importance.
The Easter tournament has now existed for sixty-six years as an integral part of university life. The suggestion that it may become unmanageable is only the recognition of the problem that faces each university as it becomes its responsibility to organise a tournament.
It is up to the students in each university to lend their support and time when tournament becomes their responsibility. If they do not then we will have lost something which adds colour to our university life and which makes us more aware of our own position in relation to other universities.
A Bewildering spectacle of quick passing, dodging and diving, and skilful control of the ball, were all to be seen at this year's basketball tournament. This year the girls really excelled themselves with their lightning moves and tricky passing. However, in spite of this, Otago emerged victorious with Massey, Victoria and Canterbury all sitting Jealously on second place.
In the first day's play Victoria won its first two games against Massey (23/18) and Auckland (24/22). On the second day of play Otago took the shield by efficiently beating Victoria (31/14).
Congratulations go to Mesdames
The Victoria girls, although not exactly dominant in the session, played basketball they can be proud of.
Congratulations to all the tennis players who represented Victoria at this year's tournament.
As several members of the other university teams said, the Victoria men's and women's teams were head and shoulders above the rest both as teams and in individual performances. All in all it was a satisfying tournament which spoke in itself of many hours of practice.
It was encouraging to see throughout the tournament Victoria teams with comfortable margins make their way into the finals.
In conclusion special mention should go to
Scene—Wellington street. One Masskerade seller, one female member of VUWSA executive.
Masskerade?
What's this?
Masskerade, madam, university magazine. Only comes out once a year. Your only chance!
Where are you from?
Oh … The university.
The point is, as has been made, they are taking advantage of an 'earlier academic timetable—an earlier Capping.
Who's going to help me spread a rumour in Palmerston North this time next year that a magazine calling itself Masskerade is really the Cappicade in disguise and should be ignored by all true partisans? Mind you, such a rumour could be arranged to be true …
* *
Mr. Pearce, of Auckland fame, is ill. I do sympathise with the fellow, actually. It is rumoured that he was kicked by the back end of a cow. A sacred one. no doubt.
Ah Yes, Tournament. A fairly good show, one gathers—I was not there, alack. There seemed to be a shortage of the tournament party, which is a poor show. Mind you, the same thing was largely evident at Canterbury, Victoria, and even Auckland. What do controllers think that tournament is for? Sport or something?
It seems that one member of the association found himself without a plane seat down. So he caught the next. Then he found there was not a rail connection. So he hitch-hiked. Then he found that he had taken so long to get down that the meeting he was to attend was over....
* *
Rather Disappointed with Mr. Wilson. At least Mr. Mac-millan had the initiative, when Britain was considering entering into the Common Market, to send the Queen.
And as the time draws nigh. If that is what times draw. I would remind the Anarchists that they did not. last year, send me a card on Queen's Birthday. And they Promised. Naughty, people. Perhaps they will re-member this year. So pleased.
April 29, 1966
Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of VUWSA.
It Took only his first public statement for the new NZUSA president, Mr. Mountain, to demonstrate NZUSA's complete lack of understanding of the problems of New Zealand education.
Mr. Mountain announced that NZUSA was promoting an Educational Development conference similar to the Agricultural Development conference. But the shortest investigation demonstrates quite clearly that a development conference (be it organised like the Industrial, Export, or the Agricultural one) is totally unsuitable for education. For each of them had the following characteristics.
At the beginning there would be announced the broad outlines of the government policy on the subject of the conference.
Each conference then went away, discussed the opening addresses, and returned with a large number of resolutions. Many of these were meaningless or unimplementable, and the rest were the sort of recommendations which any reasonably competent minister, having heard so often before, would have stifled a yawn on hearing again.
In other words, a development conference has got nothing to do with getting 200 people together and asking them to vote on future policy. What these conferences are, is the government telling those people about their policy and telling them by giving them the broad outlines of the policy and asking them to fill in the details. And, of course, to ensure that the right conclusions are reached, the background papers and the participants are accordingly chosen.
There is nothing dishonest about such a conference, to the contrary it is part of our democratic process, for here is the government encouraging debate about its policies —even if the initial debate is loaded.
What relevance has such a conference to do with education policy? Nix. for the simple reason that this government (or the opposition) has not got a policy that could be discussed at a conference. At best an Educational Development conference could discuss the fact that the government did not have a policy, but here, Mr. Mountain and NZUSA, here is the crux of the problem of policy formation. No conference can form a policy on education which is worth the paper it is written on. Policies are just not formed this way.
Perhaps Mr. Mountain and company will proceed with the politically spectacular development conference but we hope not. For if they turn their efforts from this and make a genuine effort to form an education policy, in two years we may have one we can be proud of one with objectives and the means of attaining these, dovetailed to meet the needs of New Zealand society. But it will require that dangerous and difficult task for politicians of thinking constructively.—B.H.E.
The Conscription Issue has come to the Victoria campus in a small way. Australian and American students at Victoria, for whom conscription for Vietnam is a very real possibility, seem sobered by the prospect.
They express many views when asked their reactions, but one overall point is clear.
Whether or not they support the Vietnam action, they doubt that the use of conscription to bolster the forces there can be justified.
This is strikingly seen in a recent Australian public opinion poll which revealed that 57 per cent of the cross-secton polled did not support the sending of conscript troops to Vietnam.
A plausible case can be made out for the use of conscript troops within New Zealand's territorial limits, even though it is true that this service is militarist, demands considerable sacrifice, and is in one sense a waste of the nation's resources.
But this defensive role is in direct contrast to the offensive nature of the undeclared war in Vietnam.
It can be said with some assurance that were the National Government to go to the country on the issue of conscription for Vietnam—or for the war in Malaysia—or indeed for any war, it would lose the election.
It needs to be made very clear to Mr. Holyoake that this country is in no mood to tolerate conscription for South East Asian theatres of war.
There are good reasons for strengthening this country's forces for a defensive role. But these reasons do not hold when it comes to conscripting this country's youth for a war half a world away.—H.B.R.
A Slightiy-Built 15-year-old Fijian lad, dressed in immaculate schoolboy's white uniform, suddenly unfolded his hands and waved my borrowed Volkswagen to a screeching halt.
" Can You please give to me a ride as far as the market, Sir?"
"Yes. certainly, hop in. My name is John, what's yours?"
"Filive, Sir."
"What school do you go to. Filive?"
"No school, Sir."
"Please don't call me Sir. My name is John. Why aren't you going to school, Filive?"
"Because … Mr. John … the headmaster he told me don't come back because you over-age to go to secondary school and last year your father never pay all the school fees."
"Do you work somewhere near the market, Filive?"
"No, Sir … I mean … Mr. John. I got no job. I try everywhere, and my father he try everywhere, but still no luck. Mr. John, you think you can fix one job for me? … If you fix one job for me, I do anything for you."
"What kind of job would you like. Filive?"
"I want to be a mechanic, Mr. John, but I can do anything," he replied, full of boyish enthusiasm and confidence in his own ability.
The Volkswagen bumped along the patched-up Lami-Suva highway, flanked by large, luscious tropical palms, shrubs and blooms, not quite hiding the bungalows and carports with their Fiats, Falcons and Fairlanes.
Filive unfolded his life-story with much coaxing from "Mr. John." His father worked as a labourer earning between three to four pounds a week. (The price of one mullet, 31b in weight. is 8/-in the Suva market, while the root crop, taro, sells for almost 1/- per pound.) They lived at the back of an Indian man's house in a roughly constructed hut. Other relatives lived with them also because they came from their villages to look for work in the town; their mataqali (family land unit in the village) was not large enough to support the family. The mother was at the Suva market trying to get some food. The father did not go to work that morning because of illness and would receive no sickness benefit.
"Suva City Welcomes You" read a beautifully constructed sign. I thanked Suva for its welcome, in spite of the fact that the sign is almost in the grounds of the Suva cemetery.
The first building that looked like a mechanic shop was also my first stop.
"Why did I want to see the manager?" I was rudely asked.
"It's none of your business!"
I produced my printed name card. That did the trick. Now I was at least of some consequence in the eyes of the clerk, in spite of my ordinary shirt, khaki shorts and cheap pair of jandals.
I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw that the manager was a European: at least I would get a straightforward, coherent answer for a change.
"This is my friend Filive: he has Just left primary school and wants to be a mechanic. Can you help him?"
The manager leaned on his desk, supported his head with his left hand, and shook his head from side to side.
"Cases like this come up day after day. They come from the Labour Department. They come from the villages. And they come from the suburbs. I'm over-employed as it is."
"Do you know of any other firm which might be able to employ Filive?"
His head wobbled from side to side again. No, he didn't know of any firm, or of any organisation, or of any individual, or of anything. His ignorance was matched only by his complete lack of interest in Filive's plight.
"Vinaka, vaka Ievu (thank you very much), Mr. John," said Filive as he alighted from my vehicle outside the market.
"Vinaka vaka levu" is used as often as possible by the Fijians, usually accompanied by a broad smile of apprecation. The Fiji Indians also have similar words: dhanya bad, shukriya, etc.: but they are seldom used. The benefactor is left guessing as to whether the recipient is grateful, indifferent or downright resentful.
At the crack of dawn the next day I met Filive's father emerging from the door of his hut. I wanted to be sure that Filive's father approved of my attempts to find a job for his son.
"Vinaka, vaka levu. for trying to help my son. But we can do nothing in return for you," said he, with a grateful yet somewhat suspicious look on his face.
"I do not want anything from you or Filive. I only want to help the boy. I want to see that he becomes suitably qualified to look after himself and shoulder his responsibilities to his kith and kin."
"My God." I said to myself. "Has the relationship between the Indians and Fijians deteriorated so much that any offer of help must be looked upon with suspicion or with thoughts of imperative reciprocation?")
The manager of Fiji's largest bus company knew me as a teenager. He knows my parents. He knew my grandparents. He greeted me very cordially, setting aside his work at hand, but informed me that he had 80 working under him and was, in fact, over-employed.
This man is a philanthropist. He helps the destitute. So I told him about Filive's father. I told him about Filive's mother and her efforts in the market. I told him about the shack they lived in. Then I told him about Filive.
Indians love long stories. They love tragedies, comedies and pathos: my long story about Filive was a combination of all these three. But the Indians also love the "lived - happily - ever - after" ending. This, I pointed out to the manager, was where he fitted into the story.
The manager put his elbows on the desk, supported his face with both hands and nodded twice.
"Thank you, very much." I said. "I will send the lad in tomorrow. If after three months' trial he doesn't do his part I shall hold no grudge against you if you sack him. I'm sure Filive will be thrilled with the £2/10/- he'll receive each week."
Filive was thrilled. He wasn't disappointed when asked to mop the office floor—I had warned him about that.
I saw Filive again before I left Suva. He was covered in grease. trying to undo the wheel-nut of a large transport bus. At last he had been given an opportunity to prove his worth. I left him, still struggling with the nut. I said a hurried goodbye to Filive: it was needless for me to ask if he
Sunsets in the tropics are
Filive had brought his
Luke was the spokesman. "
Unemployment amongst
One of these days someone
While New Zealand students
At present there are some 150
A government official in Fiji formed me "confidentially" that
"This, of course, is crude data
It was difficult for me to convince this individual that while I am concerned about unemployment and poverty throughout the world, including Britain, my immediate responsibility lies in Fiji.
No doubt I am "emotional" when it comes to dealing with the "damned of the earth." How can one remain unmoved when young people come to you begging for an opportunity to learn to take care of themselves? What does one do with one's emotions when he sees his own family suffer as a result of unemployment?
I went to Official A, who sent me to Official B, who in turn advised me to see Official C or D. Official C sent me to Official D. The latter informed me that the matter hardly concerned him and expressed great surprise that Officials A, B and C had not been able to supply me with the information I needed. Letters to departments bring little satisfaction, that is if one is fortunate enough to elicit a reply.
Has the Fiji Education Department a Vocational Guidance division where I could send Luke and Jone?
An emphatic "yes" was the telephone operator's reply and I discovered that Mr.
In view of this one finds it extremely difficult to understand the action of the Suva Rotary Club, who approached Mr.
Next day, I advised Luke, Jone and Sukhueo (a newcomer) to go to the Labour Department. Surely tills department could do something for the lads.
"It's a waste of time, Sir," said Sukhdeo. "They give you a little ticket and you spend a whole week walking here, there and everywhere, but you can't get any jobs."
The government realises the gravity of the unemployment problem and the ineffectiveness of the Labour Department. In the Colony's Annual Report (1964) the section entitled 'Unemployment" (p. 14) is quite illuminating:
"Although the Labour Department operates an employment service and provides facilities for persons to register for work, comparatively few persons register themselves as unemployed, principally because of the few vacancies notified to the department … During the last six years the number of persons who have left school is more than 56,000: whilst some of these school leavers may have obtained work on family holdings or may be self-employed in fishing or agriculture, etc., it is reasonable to assume that a considerable proportion of them must, of necessity, seek paid employment. If a normal wastage of approximately 1.000 a year has taken place in the labour force employed for wages it may also be assumed, taking into account the total numbers employed in Fiji, that the unemployment problem is greater than indicated by the numbers registering for work at labour exchanges."
In spite of the absence of reliable unemployment figures, it Is clear that large numbers who, through necessity, return to family holdings, etc., after leaving school, contribute little to the increase of agricultural produce in the colony. The 1956 census revealed that 6,000 people, or over one third of the Indian population living in the cane zone were redundant to the maximum labour requirements needed for cultivating cane on that area, using existing techniques. Similar situations are to be found on Fijian plantations and in the villages. The 1966 census will be awaited with eagerness by all interested in the affairs of Fiji, but of one thing we can be sure, the numbers of redundant labour force is unlikely to show any reduction.
Obviously, the solution to most of Fiji's problem lies in the wise use of "filthy lucre." and most of this must come from the pockets of overseas investors.
"There is a screaming need for investment of New Zealand development capital, particularly in agriculture but also in minor industries and other fields." uttered one visiting politician from Fiji. But he and his visiting colleagues need to be reminded that investors from New Zealand will not invest in Fiji simply because Fiji needs their money. Concrete examples of the type. "there's gold in them thar hills" need to be placed in the hands of investors, before they will risk their wealth. The visiting politicians' press statements and their one pathetic interview over the NZBC gave little indication of such examples.
The Governor of Fiji (Sir
But little follow-up of these proposals have been forthcoming. A 23-page booklet entitled "Investment in Fiji" and issued by the Government of Fiji appears to be designed to attract tourists rather than investments. Pretty pictures of the "Hibiscus Festival" and tourists soaking up beer beside a swimming pool catches the eye: timber, meat and fish hardly receive any mention in this booklet, and yet these are the resources whose wise exploitation could provide employment for the hundreds leaving school each year.
So Luke. Jone and Sukhdeo. till "the powers that be" carefully study and face the problem of juvenile unemployment realistically, your potential talents must lie dormant and your intended service to the colony must remain unrendered, unless, of course, your paths may cross that of another "emotional" individual who knows a philanthropist.
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The Collected Poems of
A useful place to start in an appreciation of the way in which these elements organise themselves into poetry is at the simplest of levels, albeit introduced in the grand manner, a poem entitled "A Note on the Depressing Effects of Abdominal Disturbances," which reads:
"People who have the colic Don't, frolic." is in itself a frolicsome piece which indicates at a level of almost complete uninvolvement the sort of humour which comes through strikingly and happily in much of Falrburn's poetry. Of course, in many poems and especially those directed at a particular political or social issue, this humorous perceptiveness is used very tellingly, and it gains much force by the characteristic simplicity and in-cisiveness of its expression.
That the underlying seriousness of the lightly humorous piece is the touchstone of Falrburn's poetic manner and interests is, however, apparent when one moves from "A Note" to "The 105 per cent Loaf" and then to "My Pretty Maid", in which the humour hardens and bites as the seriousness of the issue deepens.
To say this is not to imply that all Falrburn's poetry is humorous in one way or another. Rather, it is out of this fundamental seriousness that his more significant poetry arises, as even a surface comparison of the two groups Poetry Harbinger and He Shall Not Rise indicates.
An indication of those issues central to Fairburn's poetry (which is primarily concerned with the end and value of human activity— not unusual for a poet, but Fair-burn is unusually perceptive. I think) is given in a stanza from "For an Amulet"
"What truly is will have no end Although dented by friends or foe.
And this I tell to foe and friend. As onward to the grave we go." It is in the great variety of ways in which Fairburn looks into "what truly is" and proceeds to tell all persons, regardless of affiliation, what he finds, that his strength and vitality He. The recognition in the last line only serves to give his poetry greater firmness and direction, as this end of human activity is subsumed in the present awareness that
"We know in the instant of joy that our warrant is sure.
Our faith not vain, our being not belied by death."
Strength and vitality, firmness and direction, are substantially ensured by Falrburn's control over his material, both words and matter. Close scrutiny of many poems throughout the collection will demonstrate the sensitivity with which idea and argument are ordered, image, line length, rhyme pattern, and stanza form, are used. For example, even in the early poems there is a sensitivity to the relationships that can be forged between natural images and human activity, shown both in the simplicity of' "Wish" and the greater complexity of "The Old Bridge."
It is however, in the longer poems that the most developed and serious discussion of major issues takes place, and it is in these poems, especially 'To a Friend in the wilderness" and "The Voyage", that we see the most complete expression of Fair-burn's skill. To make this more explicit it would be necessary to quote many pieces which in the first instance would indicate only those qualities already mentioned, and would destroy their real sign-ificance. It may be sufficient for the purposes of this review to say of these poems, and by implication of many in this collection, that they are "major New Zealand poetry", "major" in that they do not need the proective garment of "New Zealand made" to justify them, and yet "New Zealand", in that their qualities of thought and expression possess an individuality which is not solely that of the poet himself, but also of the country to which he belongs.— B. P. Opie.
There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book. Books are well written or badly written -Wilde.
A man of great common sense and good taste: meaning thereby a man without originality or moral courage.—Shaw.
Corporations cannot commit treason, nor be outlawed nor ex-communicated, for they have no souls.—Coke.
Billy Liar seemed very much in vogue: we had read the book and seen the film of the book; then we were invited to attend the play. The response was sparse. Monday's audience at least could have been comfortably accommodated on the edge of the stage.
In a sense it is regrettable that this was so. If the university wishes to maintain a body of dramatic tradition that will allow those of its members who wish to act an opportunity to do so. and at the same time be provided with productions which may be said to contribute to its corporate life, it will have to support the club on which both these benefits depend. But two things that it is entitled to require in return for freeing the Drama Club from the financial and artistic embarrassment of empty houses, are good plays and competent production. In Billy Liar the second requirement was satisfied: but if the acting was polished, the play was purest, chintz.
The society which Billy's fantasy escaped from and satirised was squeezed out of the parlour window. It could not be fitted on to the stage, and left as its anaemic representatives only Granny, who quivered after the good old days. Barbara, whose orange-eating became a weak joke, and Billy's Mum and Dad, whose personal stupidity stripped of social context were without significance. Where, we might ask, were the Duxberrys of yesteryear? Where was the dance-hall? Where was the cemetery? Hidden, with Billy's fantasies, behind the parlour curtains. The play robbed the book of its acuteness and vitality: it turned it into a farce of situation where Billy was more bothered by a hiding than by moral defeat.
The actors deserved better. I wondered at times about Granny's (Susan Lothian's) tremolo; but she conveniently died and took her quaver into the next world. And she caused by her passing one of the most pointed scenes in the play as Mr. Fisher (A.M.B.
• Elections are on Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th May.
•
•
John Mcgrath is a fourth-year law student, is chairman of the present Capping committee and is active (when he finds the time) in the university Cricket and Swords clubs.
He was elected to the current executive as Capping controller and is, of course, at the moment actively engaged in organising Capping festivities.
He is a member of the Public Relations and Publications subcommittees and a committee member of the Law Faculty club and the National club. He also organised last year's highly successful Winter Tournament ball.
"The University—Ideal and Actual" is the subject for Winter Term lectures. 1966. The lectures will take place between 1pm and 2pm on six Thursdays, three before and three after study week. The following is the scheme for the lectures.
Dave Shand is aged 21; commerce graduate in Accountancy, studying for BA in Economics; Research Officer in the Treasury. Two years' executive experience: Public Relations Officer 1964/65, Treasurer 1966, represented VUW at NZUSA Easter Council 1966; wide subcommittee experience; past member of Student Union Building planning committee.
Other Activities: President of the Debating Society, member of the VUW debating team; vice-president Labour Party club; treasurer of the Drama club; deputy-chairman Cultural Clubs' council.
He believes that the students' association must make itself more useful to students and receptive to their needs. In particular, action is required on the following:
Accommodation: Representations to government on the urgency of this problem at Victoria. Make this an issue in this year's general election.
Bursaries: A responsible follow-up to last year's student action, to remove remaining anomalies. Oppose forfeiting of bursaries by students who marry or take up minor jobs within their departments.
Campus Bookshop: Overcome administrative inertia and get this scheme off the ground.
Law and Accountancy Students' Pay: Support for faculty clubs seeking increases.
Graduate Employment: Press government for increased commencing salaries for graduates in the Public Service.
Military Service: Press government for special provisions for university students who are prevented from earning a reasonable wage during the holidays.
Evening Lectures: Negotiate to have all lectures held during daytime.
Car Parking: Have Wai-te-Ata Road reinstated as a student parking area. Seek inclusion in the town plan of a parking building near the university.
Research grants: The present £500 limit on tax free grants for university research should be raised.
Liaison with Schools: Press to have Tour of Schools by students reintroduced.
Problems of Individual Students: Representations by the association on behalf of individual students on academic matters it requested.
NZUSA: The immediate need is the consolidation of the past year's gains and continued advances in educational research and student travel. At Easter Council
The president is the spokesman for students in the community at large and must exercise this function constructively. This calls for an individual well acquainted with current developments in student and national affairs and concerned to make student views influential and respected.
With his administrative experi-ence, extensive down-town contacts and commonsense approach to student problems,
A Column Of Freelance Comment
In The Face of a monumental outbreak of Parkinson's Law down at NZUSA (slowed somewhat by a recent attack of Parkinson's disease), one tends to forget our own. and very dear bureaucracy. Last afternoon I was settling down for a quiet snooze in the women's common room when a phial of hydrofluoric acid slipped out of my pocket and shattered on the floor. As you know. HF is that vicious stuff that will eat through anything, including last week's haricot chops, and has to be kept in the thumb of a rubber gardening glove. Naturally I wanted to mop it up before it did too much damage, so I rushed out to find a caretaker.
"Look," I said. "I've shattered a phial of HF on the floor. Is there a mop anywhere?"
"There's no need to use that language. I suppose you've got permission to have HF in here? You'd better see Mr. Boyd."
I nipped downstairs and wended my way through the labyrinth behind the office, looking, not for a Minotaur, but for Mr. Boyd, finally located the Room With The Porthole, and burst in. Boyd himself was sitting behind what must be the best collection of paper weights in Kelburn.
"I've had an accident on the floor of the women's common room!"
"What!" said Boyd, "you'll need a booking for that. I can see you tomorrow morning at ten."
"It's extremely urgent."
"Half-past nine in the morning then."
"But it's HF, Boyd!"
"I don't care who it is."
"It's eating a hole in the floor!"
"He can't do that! It's against university regulations!"
We rushed through the caf. and found a mop and bucket in the basement, under the theatre. Then he whipped back upstairs. A crowd had gathered around, what was now. a substantial hole in the floor. The HF was steaming and frothing a bit. as is its wont.
"It's a UFO!" said someone.
"Oh!" I said, and looked around for little green men but saw only Ashenden. who held up a little sign which read, "No Press Allowed."
"Unauthorised Foreign Object," explained Boyd. "This hole certainly hasn't got a booking. What's it for?"
Someone suggested that it was for putting a pole in, so students could slide down to the caf.
"It's for hauling up buckets of earth through, so NZUSA can plant bananas on the roof," added a card player, for even they had halted.
We tried mopping it up but the mop dissolved. Boyd and I rushed up to get Mr. Biggs.
"Charlie." said Boyd, "have you got a gardening glove?"
"You'll need a requisition slip and approval from the treasurer." said Mr. Biggs sagely.
"Thurbage!" said Boyd, "if the hole isn't stopped immediately, you'll be barred from the Student Union for a month!"
"There won't be a Student Union," I mused.
We went back to the women's common room and found that half of it had subsided into the hole. The committee rooms were leaning dangerously and you could roll a golf ball from one end of the common room to the other. If you wanted to, that is.
Boyd and Biggs tried hosing down the acid, but this remedy only served to spread it further. Finally we had to evacuate the building. Even an attempt to throw Weir House porridge down the hole proved futile. We stood disconsolately around as the whole Stud. Ass. collapsed into a hole in the ground, smoking and frothing to the end. Fritz hovered at the edge of the disaster, rushing hither and thither, barking and coughing.
"This is a catastrophe, Boyd," I said, as the corner of the Memorial Theatre lurched out of sight. "What can one say?"
Boyd reflected for a second, and nodded his head sadly. "Management Committee isn't going to like this one little bit."
Reviews of
• Opera
• Classical
records by RTH
Mozart: " 13
An Outstanding set. EMI's release of magnificently recorded and performed operas seems never-ending—for example, the Decca recordings of Wagner (incidentally, the recording of "Die Walkure" was completed recently and is to be issued in the near future. thus completing the "Ring" cycle); the Angel series "Tosca" and "Carmen," and so on.
A glance at the cast for this performance speaks for itself, it hard to imagine a better cast on record or in live performance.
Throughout the tempi are rather on the slow side, however the opera never drags, the dignity and beauty of the music is emphasised; Klemperer's handling of Sarastro's arias and the choruses of masons is specially good.
Gedda is a very effective Tamlno—beautifully light without losing the strength of Tamino's character.
The accompanying booklet tells us that in her debut in this role in 1963 the press wrote of "a general rejoicing that a suitable artist had been found at last to sing this arduous role." Her brilliant performance on this recording substantiates this—the demanding aria in Act I offers her no terrors, she glides effortlessly through it.
The remaining small parts are very good. Who could imagine seeing a performance with artists of the calibre of Schwarzkopf, Ludwlg and Hoffgen in the roles of the three ladies? Throughout the orchestra's playing is very good.
Bizet: "Carmen" highlights. Carmen,
This Is a disc comprising highlights from a previously released recording of the complete opera (Decca SET 256-8). It is a worthwhile buy for any collector who is not prepared to purchase the complete opera. In comparison to the Callas-Pretre recording (reviewed in Salient 2) it is dull and lifeless. Schipper's tempi are rather listless, without the vim and vigour that characterise Pretre's.
Stainf. R: "The Crucifixion."
This Is a relatively unknown work in New Zealand—in England it is considered one of the basic works in the repertoire of any choir (rather similar to our attitude towards "The Messiah"). An impressive work, it is described as a " 'Meditation on the passion of the Holy Redeemer' and is a setting of a text selected from the New Testament … interspersed with five hymns in which the audience or congregation is invited to Join." Unfortunately, the second, third and fourth hymns have been omitted from this recording—a pity when other recordings offer the complete work on two sides.
This is a good performance, satisfactorily recorded. Both tenor and bass fulfill their roles more than adequately (incidentally Bell is a New Zealander). The chorus work on the whole is good and Eric Chadwick's organ accompaniment is sympathetic.
Across
1 A sly young creature? (3. 3)
7 Musically speaking there's a Christmas one (8)
8 A man like Nurmi (4)
10 What's the sense in having no ears? (6)
11 A covered shopping place (6)
14 Allowed out of jail etc (3)
16 When Tom gets letters, they can be read (5)
17 It's hardly credible! (4)
19 Astronomical aircraft? (5)
21 An earlier denial! (5)
22 They may be motherly (5)
23 Find fault with a fish? (4)
26 A water walker (5)
28 In support of (3)
29 She gives more than a sob (6)
80 Princess or airman, possibly (6)
31 A letter to her may result in heavenly food (4)
32 They're Irish (8)
33 A laugh on the quiet? (6)
Down
1 If it lost heart. it would still have its feet, of course (6)
2 A tool to cheat with? (6)
3 Good French we hear in Germany (4)
4 Originator of athletics? (7)
5 Amber fish? (5)
6 Peaceful creatures? (5)
8 Water may do so! (4)
9 Negative (3)
12 Place of one's childhood dreams? (3)
13 Part of the decorations? (5)
15 The music of money? (5)
18 French town (5)
19 Varsity river (3)
20 People from Armenia (3)
21 German rock (7)
22 We start building a trap (3)
23 A brass instrument (6)
24 One for opera lovers, perhaps (4)
25 Not necessarily Gary, or even a golfer (6)
26 One of those crafty females? (5)
27 She's an easy catch (5)
28 A somewhat infantile admirer? (3)
30 It may hold up certain requirements for sailing (4)
Solution Next Issue
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Accommodation Problems ?
See Vicklyn Bureau for the right shack, flat, or cave-or highly respectable board.
102 Willis Street Telephone 45-755.
Important !
Buy all your meat at
Lambton Meat Supply
254 Lambton Quay
Stonehams
The Jewellers
at
Cable Car Corner
" Rubbish!" cried the Mayor. "It's disgraceful," warbled a 70-year-old ex-serviceman, the general public also took up the cry: this whole cacophony of sound being interspersed with bleats from Cr. B. L. Dallard to the effect that he, too, had been hoaxed.
It All Started Out as a joke at the expense of a standing community Joke—the Wellington City Council's rubbish collection service. Some students felt it was about time that that organ of the City Council's affairs was gingered up. With that churlish thought, students offered the Wellington public (graciously on behalf of
The Gestetner machine of a favoured university department worked overtime for several nights, the guillotine was blunted irreparably, but, finally. 10.000 "City Council notices" were ready for distribution. Phase Two started about 9pm on Saturday. April 28, 1962: Thirty student's went into action and delivered the little bundles of happiness all over central Wellington and the suburbs.
The notices stated "That the Wellington City Council has decided to offer the citizens of Wellington a new type of rubbish collection service—but only on a trial basis. This service is concerned only with that rubbish which is too cumbersome to be removed in the usual manner. Should you have any rubbish of this nature, we would be obliged if you would place it outside your front gate, in a prominent position for collection." The ever-obliging public co-operated fully.
However, something went wrong! Some fool delivered one of the notices to a city councillor —in spite of the fact that all councillors' addresses had been taken note of. and all participants had been strictly instructed to avoid these houses like the plague.
Councillor Dallard discovered his notice on Sunday, April 29, and the telephone cables in the area started to crackle: the Town Clerk was informed; he, in turn, called on the assistance of 2ZB, with the result that throughout the day disclaimers on behalf of the City Council were broadcast at ever-decreasing intervals.
Retaliatory action was demanded! From within a Hopper Street telephone box a voice, suitably muffled, informed the Broadcasting Corporation that the disclaimer they were broadcasting, ostensibly on behalf of the "Town Clerk" was itself a hoax. The rubbish collection service, they were assured. was perfectly genuine. The result of this thoughtful gesture was a two-hour period with no disclaimers broadcast by Station 2ZB—it should be remembered that this "break in transmission" occurred during the period 12-2 o'clock, that is, at the period of maximum listening. At least a breathing space had been won.
Monday morning brought prominent newspaper comment, a carefully-worded statement from the president of the Students' Association vaguely referring to "disciplinary action," together with some rather less carefully-worded injunctions from the Mayor, the Town Clerk, and more whingeing from Cr. Dallard. Monday also brought piles of other rubbish. By that afternoon the Wellington Branch of the Associated Chambers of Rubbish Collectors had climbed aboard the bandwagon noting how "disgraceful It was that people should be duped into leaving rubbish out." They went on to express the hope that the perpetrators would be forced to clean up the plague that they had foisted upon the city: this cry was gleefully taken up by those unfortunates who had been the victims of this "cruel and thoughtless hoax" [The Dominion.]
Thursday afternoon saw three weary students, complete with a five-ton truck making many laden journeys to the Karori tip: this was only to be expected. The un-kindest cut of all was. that on hearing that those responsible were to clean up the mess, a number of the more quick-witted among us piled their carefully-hoarded rubbish on to the pavements of the Capital City. This "ill-conceived Jest" [The Evening Post] had backfired because of its success.
"Volleyball will be a tournament sport next Easter tournament," says Victoria sports officer
He Was commenting on the failure of Otago University to hold volleyball at this year's Easter tournament.
The failure to hold the planned competition angered Victoria volleyballers. Victoria's team, one of the country's top sides, could have been expected to score highly at tournament.
Mr. Hassed, who is also 1967 Easter tournament controller, told Salient that he had investigated the matter.
He gays that Otago failed to find a venue for the sport or anyone able to act as volleyball controller and were forced to abandon the project.
ISC News Service
On March 20. following a series of daily student protest demonstrations against UDI, the 230 African students in the University of Salisbury initiated a near-unanimous boycott of lectures. They were supported by 28 of their lecturers in this open defiance of the Smith regime's authority.
During the daily protest demonstrations the African students, who had been supported by growing members of white and Asian students, were met by organised police resistance.
The police, presumably acting under orders from the Smith regime currently controlling Rhodesia, intruded into the campus area, used force on the demonstrating students, broke up what had been essentially peaceful but nevertheless firm protests, and slaved to enforce an order prohibiting the meeting on campus of more than three students in one place without prior authorisation.
Many other police restrictions have made normal college life impossible and a number of students have reportedly been arrested.
Strange Comment on the security furore which surrounded the visit of Vice-President
On the left, in a now familiar picture, a New Zealander is hustled off by a security policeman. On the right, four New Zealanders meet the Vice-President.
But The Unwanted One On The Left Is One Of The Favoured Four On The Right!
Security did indeed go awry, more than the Auckland Star realised.
"The press also mixed up the gun story," the person involved told Salient.
He says that the statement that a gun was knocked from a security policeman's pocket was not correct.
"He drew the gun on me."
Salient was told. In the ensuing scuffle the gun was knocked from the policeman's hand.
The protester, badly shaken by his experience, went slowly and quietly home. "I've been in a number of protests," he says. "and never had anything like this happen before—it really shook me and 1 took a day to recover."
"Nor do I believe that the security policeman was an American. I think he's a New Zealander."