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Well, now that you've had mid year exams and want to have a good time after having been "fed up to the back teeth" with swot (who said all this interm assessment made things easier??!!) We've arranged a week of fun and games wine and cheeses and concerts, forums and debates, films and workshops etc etc..... Unfortunately, due to all this internal assessment a couple of things have fallen through but nevertheless there are still about 40 different things on whether they be small scale meetings or large scale functions.
The programme of activities is as follows:
The programme indicates the obvious... this week, after the long slog of exams, you students deserve to Take a Break, the programme, we feel, is Varied enough for everyone to find something to suit them.
So Get Out and Enjoy Yourselves!!
Have Fun!!
While Bill Rowling and his Labour Party hacks are making fine speeches in Parliament, trade union officials and the workers they represent are bracing themselves for the expected rash of repressive legislation being drawn up behind the doors of the Labour and Justice Departments by the Muldoon Government.
Mr Muldoon and his hatchet man, Peter Gordon, have never made any bones about their opinions on unions, and early next month they will put them into practice when they introduce their industrial legislation into the House.
Wellington Drivers' Union organiser, Pat Kelly, appeared on Television Two's news last Tuesday night to spell out the amendments being planned for Labour's Industrial Relations Act.
The amendments will:
On the same programme the Minister of Labour, Peter Gordon, confirmed these features of the bill except the point about voluntary unionism, which he denied. His casual attitude toward the proposed amendments was disappointing if not alarming.
The amendments will obviously have the effect of completely tying up the trade union movement, by taking away from the worker any right to withdraw his labour.
If the Wellington bus drivers decided to go-slow over an attempt to cut down on the overtime they need to make up a living wage, they would (under the proposed provisions) be participating in an "illegal strike". At this stage all union officials (even though they may be merely carrying out the wishes of a majority of bus drivers) could be fined and debarred.
If this was avoided by arguing that the go-slow was occurring to help in award negotiations, the Government could define public transport as a "public interest" industry and order the bus drivers to resume their usual work. And finally, if a member of the public was annoyed that he was having to wait an extra 20 minutes at this bus stop and arriving at work late, he could take out an injunction against the union to force it to resume normal work.
Whereas these provisions can be used against all unions and their officials, I believe they are specifically aimed at smashing the Socialist Unity Party, which according to Muldoon, Truth and the S.I.S. is at the root of all New Zealand's economic problems.
The Government had plans of making membership of the S.U.P. illegal, but have balked away from this type of action because of the serious repercussions which would follow. So instead, they are to attempt to attack it through the Industrial Relations Act. And you can bet, that the first time the Northern or Wellington Drivers' Union even looks like taking industrial action, heads (namely those of Bill Anderson and Ken Douglas) will roll.
At the moment the amendments are still floating around in the Justice and Labour Departments (both of which have warned Muldoon not to proceed with them). If they are introduced into Parliament next month, New Zealand may witness the greatest industrial upset since
Unfortunately, most people are unaware of what is being planned, and the first they will learn of it is when it is introduced next month.
Since Pat Kelly's appearance on TV-2 there has been no investigation by the news media into precisely what is going on And it seems that even some of the union leaders are unaware of the extent of National's Legislation.
The Government will be counting on surprise. The Labour Party is not expected to put up much opposition, and because the proposals will be merely amendments to an existing law they will not have to go before a select committee.
In
Even the metropolitan newspapers are quietly warning the Government not to proceed.
Last Mondays NZ Herald threw out a warning:
"Mr Gordon clearly wishes to rebuild good industrial relationships, nationwide. But is the gulf which yawns between the will and the deed likely to be bridged by autocratic legislation? If policies are imprudent they will add to the problem"." and even the right-wing Dominion (last Friday) also commented:
"Goading them (Socialist Unity Party) and other dissidents into excesses is not in the country's interest, now or at any other time."
A confrontation is undoubtedly brewing. On all other occasions where the Government has taken on the trade union movement they have won handsomely. If they win this time, New Zealand workers may be in a similar position to those of Hitler's Germany or Mussolini's Italy - so bound up with regulations that they have no power to act against the increasingly fascist policies put forward by the Muldoon Government.
Students are deeply involved in the National Government's plans to tie up the union movement with a myriad of repressive industrial laws.
While the amendments to the Industrial Relations Act are aimed at the so-called "militants" in the trade unions, they set a precedent for any organisation that wishes to have a say in how the country is being run.
Mr Muldoon told a student caller to his talkback show in
Unfortunately. Mr Muldoon doesn't see the connection between student welfare, and the decisions made by Government, which are commonly referred to as "politics".
Students, along with all other New Zealanders, want to be able to deckle whether they'll be breathing in carbon monoxide for the next ten years, whether they'll be living in a gutter or a house, or whether they'll be slogging through the rice paddies rifle in hand trying to keep Asia free from "Communism". To Mr Muldoon all these questions are "political" and have no place in a trade union or a Students' Association.
At the moment students are no threat to the Muldoon Government, so they can be left alone while the unions are being dealt with. But, if students threaten Mr Muldoon (as they seem to have done when they disrupted the Pacific Basin Economic Council Meeting in
So, students must stand with organised labour in opposing any moves by the National Government to restrict the democratic rights exercised by individual workers in their unions. If we do not stand firm now then when we next march for the maintenance of our bursary levels, we may find blank stares greeting our cries for fraternal support.
An accountancy student with Stage II or doing Stage II subjects to assist in audit of Club books. Some practical experience preferred. Remuneration available. Please telephone: 845-504 or 738-396
Yes folks, dialectics are all the rage this summer, and Salient have never been known to let the old side down. So when we all get tired to Trot-Maoist split, something must fill the vacancy left. What better than a materialist-metaphysics split.
Taking Salient Office by strategy was accompalished primarily by John Ryall clutching Big Lenny and not letting anything away as usual. Slight resistance was provided by Pat Bartle as she straffed the masses with her big IBM and SAL.
Leading the neo-materialist thrust was Lindy Cassidy and Leonie Morris who leads an exciting life at times. Mentor Terry Auld also added theoretical assistance. Checking his writings was Patrick Mulrennan who couldn't take it and later retired to an alligned position.
The non-Marxist factions consisted of ex-arty farty Ben Smith now taking up his new position of reviews editor, relieving David Murray who is known to be wanting to indulge in some protracted study in order to maintain his dialectic with the neo-materialists and the Sosc dept.
Metaphysists followed the great inspiration of Gerard Couper but tend towards tautology and suicidal tendencies. Reformed revolutionary John Henderson reverted to motor cycle maintenance but doesn't wish to spread it around.
Gyles Beckford waits anxiously at the doorway for his new pair of legs and obstructed Rachel Scott who could be heard singing "Get me to Kwangchow on time". Kevin Swann occasionally stops work upon which Lionel Klee takes over. The latest in Canty University gear Mike Stephens displayed bouts of milk tokenism, in the process inciting riots which threatened the dictatorship of the proletariat and trampled a dazed, most a chless and shady Roy.
While Martin Doyle and Anne Maree exchanged metaphors and euphorisms, Hemal Gurusinghe and Aruna Amarasuriya indulged in Krishnamurti in a bid for the Metaphysics stakes. As the prospects for armen struggle dwindled with the light fading, Bernard Randall began quoting Gary Lewis and the playboys causing Chris Wilson to flail himself with Engels "The rise of the family, private property and the state' sung to reggae melodies.
And so we say farewell to Balham, so until next week, it's goodnight from me and it's goodnight from him.
Salient is edited by John Ryall, published by Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association, and printed by Wanganui Newspapers, Drews Lane, Wanganui.
Saturday 10 July - Dance!
"Ball Musette ' Student Union - Cafeteria 8pm. Wine, Beer and baguette. Only $2.50 for students. Non students $3.00. Tickets available from French Department, or at the door.
Monday 12th
Buffet lunch, 32 Kelbum Parade 12-2pm - pay as you eat and drink.
Tuesday 13th
Soiree Satirique - Drama House, 93 Kelburn Parade.
Wednesday 14th
Buffet lunch, 32 Kelbum Parade, Pay as you eat and drink.
Beat the Cost of Living - Get an 800% Return on Your Studass Fees.
Applications now Invited for the Position of:
Handbook Editor (Orientation Mag published for enrollment).
For further information or interview contact:
Mark Sainsbury,
Publications Officer,
Ph 753-176 or Studass office.
Application have been called for the chaiman of NZSAC. These are to be in by July 7th. Duties of the position:
For more information see the Studass noticeboard or ring
Inaugral Meeting Women's Study Group
Agenda:
Drama Society Meeting 7pm Wed July 7th. Theatre Foyer. Important all members be there, notices of auditions, workshops etc. Wine and Beer on sale and entertainment.
Full size poster of the cartoon on the front cover are availabe for 50cents at an exhibition and sale of cartoons being held at Theatre 87, 87 The Terrac until 9 pm Thursday
In each issue Broadsheet presents the feminist perspective on subjects like abortion, contraception, communes, marriage, sexism in universities, health, work, environment etc. Plus short stories, poetry, reviews.
Broadsheet appears ten times yearly and is available at 60 cents for a sample copy or $6.00 for a subscription from P.O. Box 47-21 Auckland.
The recent increases in the price of beer were the first time that a mass consumption commodity has had its price determined by the Commerce Commission. The lengthy inquiry (sitting for 11 days in all) traversed a wide range of issues both relating to the industry and to the provisions of the Commerce Act 1975.
The hearing also represented the first occasion on which a consumer group has been admitted to a price hearing. The Combined State Service Association, represented by Rob Campbell gained full access to the inquiry, including the right to see and use all confidential financial and other cost data provided by the individual brewery companies.
Although the claim by the Brewers' Association for a massive $6.9 million, was rigorously opposed by the Department of Trade and Industry and by C.S.S.O. a majority decision of the Commission granted the claim in full.
Are the Commerce Commission just a bunch of toadies for the bourgeoisie? Is the Commerce Act just a farce, a sick joke being played by the bourgeoisie on workers and consumers? Do the brewery companies mind having their pockets pissed in?
You have to ask those sort of questions after the astonishing decision by the Commerce Commission to grant the breweries a massive price increase under a so-called price control system even when the Government's own advisors were against it. To understand this decision you have to know a bit of the background.
B. Bornhold (Chairman) a lawyer. Bornholt was smeared by the National Business Review during the hearing which implied that he was biased because he acted as counsel for a licensing trust. Far more relevant was the fact that he was counsel for C.S.S.O. at the last beer price hearing. In fact his decision favoured the breweries.
Mrs Hercus (Deputy Chairman) the only woman on the Commission who obviously sees herself as representing consumers in some broad sense. She dissented from the majority view and supported the Department.
Mr Tipping absented himself from this hearing on the grounds that he was representing the brewers on the last hearing and many times before.
Mr O'Brien is a Victoria University heavy (Chancellor in fact), and a veteran of many Tribunals and Committees.
Mr Busfield is a retailer. Enough said.
It's no exactly a Revolutionary People's Council, is it.
New Zealand Breweries: the largest company with total group assets of $11 8 million and a
Dominion Breweries: Has just over 30 percent of the beer market.
Leopard is the baby of the bunch with only about 6 percent of the market, most of it in luxury beers. Leopard is half owned by NZB and half by Malayan Breweries. It markets Leopard De Luxe, Leopard Export, Double L, Lo Cal, Continental, Premium Draught, Black Velvet Stout and Whit bread.
The breweries, of course, don't think they make enough But the irony of an NZB profit announcement the same day as they got their price increase was striking to an outsider. NAB announced a profit increase of 24 percent for their year to
The truth of the matter however was that NAB has consistently performed better than its competitors, also had much smaller cost increases and on the industry price rise stands to over-recover costs by more than $500,000.
The table attached summarises the profit performance of the companies.
It can be seen from this table that while industry profitability has fallen relative to both previous years and to the Reserve Bank returns, profitability can scarcely be said to be at a level causing serious problems, and much of the fall in profibability in any case results from the costs of expansion as detailed later in this article.
The Brewers' Association claimed price increases on the basis of increased costs of production which they claimed they and incurred. The aggregate of increased costs was 56,908 million. The claim was for a net over/recovery of $35,000 on increased costs. The proposal was to make an under-recovery on draught beer and an over-recovery on bottled quarts which is the main growth area.
The Breweries argument was that they had no capacity to absorb costs which were amounting to $575,000 per month. They indicated that it was their intention to apply for another price increase to "restore profitability" at some later date. Because these increased costs "had in fact been incurred" they should be recognised in a price increase virtually without argument.
The Department of Trade and Industry accepted most of this, but argued for a large reduction in the claimed amount on the basis that a big volume of costs was being charged to the manufacturers price of beer which in fact should be charged against the cots which in fact should be charged against the costs of wholesaling or retailing beer. The costs which the Department wanted to disallow were those relating to the ownership and control of outlets, a proportion of which the breweries have previusly claimed as part of the costs of brewing beer.
The Department's approach became nonsense however as it emerged that they did not want to exclude backward linkage operations from consideration, and they were quite happy for the costs to be recovered in other sectors of the industry, e.g. by raising the retail price of beer. One major element in the Department's argument was that independent hotels and licensing trusts were disadvantaged by this pricing system because in the price they were paying for beer they were paying a large part of the costs of brewery hotels with which they were competing.
C.S S.O. argued that in principle no increase should be granted because the claim was based on on increased costs. In fact the Act (Section 98C in particular) required a full examination of the industry cost structure. For example it had to be ascertained whether costs were legitimately incurred by an affluent producer. There were several cost items where this was considerabl in doubt.
It became clear however that the Commission was determined to see its price fixing functions as being in essence a price justification scheme rather than a price control scheme.
Consequently C.S.S.O. argued that a more rigorous division of the industry should be made on the basis of the International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities. This would exlude from the manufacturers price of beer all costs relating to the acquisition of inputs such as investments in malt companies and also of points of sale to final consumers. The current pricing formula encourages brewery expansion An application of this approach reduced the reasonable claim to a maximum of $2.333 million.
The Commission rejected this argument and decided to retain the present pricing system. Apart from the direct effect of this on brewery expansion, the decisions illustrates the farce of price control as it is practiced at the moment.
The ability of the breweries to recover part of the costs of owning outlets in beer prices ex-brewery has been a significant factor in the rush of hotel purchase which resulted in nearly one in ten hotels in New Zealand changing hands in just two years. This is illustrated in the table below:
But far more important than the advantages to the breweries are the implications of this decision for price control. While wage restraint is rigorously practiced, the so-called price control system has produced only 2 public scrutiny occasions sicne the Commerce Act was introduced. The Department of Trade and Industry seems happy to allow price increases on a justification basis.
Until an effective price control system is introduced which actually discourages price increases, workers and consumers will be justified in laughting at so-called control.
Will the Real Sociology Please Stand Up?
"Sociology is the oppressors studying the oppressed", a true and pertinent quote when we turn our eyes to the VUW apologists for sociology who live their academic lives at Clermont Terrace.
Not only is the department stuffed structually, but the material that emanates from those persons also deserves vigourous criticism. The structure of the department has been discussed in former editions of Salient - from the petty internal feuds to the larger scale problems of direction from the top, rigged appointments etc.
What concerns me more, is what sociology students at Vic are subjected to in their encounters with the department. It can be well said that the content of teaching will revolve around the reasons for students taking the subject i.e. if students want to find out what "sociology" is - then the courses will be structured accordingly.
Therefore, the department must have an obligation to respond to the social and intellectual needs of the students that it teaches - otherwise the aims of learning will be defeated before the teaching starts. At present, the department is not doing this, and instead are addressing themselves to questions and issues that, for the most part, have very little relevance to the students taking these courses.
In a true "sociological" way (if there is such a thing - after 3 years in the department I am coming to conclusion that sociology does not exist - not at Vic anyhow!) we must ask why this situation exists. Here are some of my reasons:
The pivoting troubles of the Sosc Dept revolve around a centre dilemma which characterises education in universities. This question delves into the metaphysics and class dynamics of point (I) i.e. sociology as a mystifying process.
Sociology (and to a lesser extent in other subjects) faces an alarming dilemma; and this is the fact that attempts to study itself. For in order to conceptualise the social world, sociologists must implicitly and explicitly announce to society, their own view of where they stand and what their views of an ideal society is.
In the Vic sociology department, this dilemma is particularly manifest. Because the university acts to maintain the social arrangement on which it depends, academic sociology finds itself in a peculiar bind. Namely, that it has to study the reasons for the injustices of a system of which it is a part. How does it go about this while maintaining its validity as a system maintainer (Parsonian) - because obviously if it highlights the injustices of the system too much - then people may want to change it.
What we see at VUW Sosc Dept, is the perfect solution - mystification of reality. By achieving this through various theoretical paradigms eg functionalism, symbolic interactionism etc., the problems are solved. Social problems are examined - but superficially and with the aloofness of the "value-free" quest - which my previous argument has proved fallacious. But, more importantly, the focus of attention has been shifted away from the problem and more toward the "methodology and conceptionalisation of the problem". This type of sociology serves not as a call to action, but as a preoccupation with models and method causing a dulling in the sociological imagination - the ability to critically analyse social systems through time.
The sociologists willingness to accept a position in a university, to collect a substantial salary and receive an allotted status position, is at least a tacit acceptance of the values of that position and the society which gives him/her that position. So much for value free analysis. The sociologist would be better off stating a value stance and working toward social analysis of problems from there. But, of course, this is taboo to the Sosc Dept. - this is "political sociology".
The department's attitude to the Sosc debate merely highlights their weak position. They have not a leg to stand on, if their theoretical position is examined closely - and this is why they are so reluctant to be drawn into a debate with students who are keen to learn and criticise.
By maintaining silence, the Dept is simply worsening the situation as students become more frustrated. If they are concerned with the effectiveness of Sociology at Vic and with the issues that concern students, then they must debate these criticisms that I feel are extremely relevant to NZ sociology and NZ society.
- Three years and still searching
This is yet another letter complaining about the bloody sociology department -and boy have I got complaints! The only hassle is, however that I'm going to have to be brief because if my writing style is identified God knows what is going to happen - rumour has it that if you speak out against the department you may as well say "bye bye" to those "As" or "Bs" or first-class honours, if not entirely to your 6 or 12 credits.
I reckon that SAG is slowly killing the SOSC debate and I don't really give a stuff what Crothers says about the "proper channels" for this type of debate being through Student reps or SAG, the facts of the bloody matter are firstly that the powers of student reps are far more limited than the power of the written word that may even incite action as radical as a "march on the sociology department" or a "sit down strike". Besides if student reps aren't even told when a bloody meeting is on they haven't got much power at all have they? And its not only this year where they haven't been told about meetings. Exactly the same thing happened last year!
Secondly, the really big things in favour of having the debate in Salient are that:
Just before I get on to my hobbyhorse of Sosc 301 I'd like to point out that, thus far there has not been one letter from a student supporting the department (unlike the English debate) - what, may I ask the staff do they see that as an indication of? - Lobbying I suppose - (well mate, no-one's been encouraging me to write, I'm writing because I'm really pissed off.
Sosc 301: So far this really boring course seems to have been a bloody waste of time. First we went through the normal "shopping list" of theories - we weren't encouraged to apply them to everyday life - in fact there was little done about showing what relevance if any they had. Right now we're having pracs and saw a bloody amazing video-tape the other day which seemed to bring out Prof Robb and Lyn White as amazing actors...; the less said about their sociology the better. In all two hour lecture - there is one hour of the most incredible bullshit I have ever heard -and most students I have spoken to feel the same way. The other hour consists of making boring material interesting - and the lecturer's quite successful really. But my main points about 301 are:
So here I am bored and pissed off with 301 like so many others - its the only course I've really disliked at Vic and so far (and its half year) I've had no satisfaction from the course - and I don't think I'm entirely to blame.
I reckon Sosc 301 needs a bloody bomb put under it to smash it to smithereens so that the whole course and the whole department can be restarted from scratch after joint consultations between staff and students instead of what's happening at the moment where they're trying to cover up the flaws in the department by introducing yet another compulsory course the relevance of which to both society and the budding sociologist is questionable.
Come on Sosc 301 students - lets have a revolution!
- A really Pissed-Off Student.
Everyone introduced themselves and gave their centre and affiliations to different women's groups. Then the different centres gave group reports.
Pat Bartle briefly reported on the Wellington Regional Caucus and discussed the activities of the Abortion Rally Committee. Vicki Elizabeth reported on the Wellington Feminist Collective and Women's Centre, describing fund-raising dinners, the Newsletter etc Then Jil and Robyn briefly talked about Herstory Press and then there was general discussion on the Working Women's Alliance who had no representative present.
This led on to a discussion on the representativeness of women present at the caucus with regard to formulating national strategy, clashes of interest and energies, lack of communication and funding of things like Herstory Press and travel subsidies for conferences.
She (Sisters for Homophile Equality) Club 41 and Gay Liberation were briefly touched on before moving on to Christ-church reports given by Ali and Marg. The original Women's Centre and refuge folded in December but a new one in a different locality has started up. A catalogue of Women's Centres etc is being compiled and a literary magazine is being launched by the Spiral Collective in July.
The next reports came from two Auckland groups. Halfway House (a women's refuge) and the Women's Centre. Women from Halfway House reported that approximately 50% of the women who came to say there chose to remain independent of their husbands and the other 50% go back to them. The roster women find the experience of working there raises their consciousnesses considerably and opens their eyes to the really oppressive conditions under which some women live
The Women's Centre is attempting to be an unstructured, drop-in information, meeting and referral centre. Activities have included drama, public speaking, consciousness raising, newsletter and meetings The Rape Crises Centre started at the Women's Centre and is for counselling and support. It intends carrying out research and making information pamphlets and getting assistance from the changing attitudes of doctors and lawyers. The University Feminists have reorganised a and are holding discussions and C.R. groups. They are also supporting and taking part in the Commission on Women at university
Broadsheet gave a brief report, mainly discussing the finances of it which are a bit shaky but their managing to survive. 3,300 of each issue are printed. A Land Collective was started at the Auckland Regional Caucus for alternative education and lifestyles.
A report from Hamilton was given by Sarah Calvert. She reported that the Abortion Action Campaign is organising transport to Auckland Wellington for the opening of parliament. The Hamilton Feminists are holding theory groups and monthly abortion meetings and socials. The Women's Health Collective has now 50 members and is busy making a Resource Centre
There were also representatives from Tauranga Wanganui, Gisborne and Dunedin present who gave brief reports on their activities.
The afternoon was supposed to be devoted to lifestyles and began with women on benefits talking about the latest campaign against solo mothers. Some have lost their Domestic Purposes Benefits as some lesbian relationships are being recognised as de tacto relationships now. Anger was strongly expressed at the Governments latest "Speak-Up" campaign directed at solo parents, and at our own lack of united opposition to this reactionary move. We then went on to self-employment with Robyn and Jill talking about the financial difficulties of Herstory Press and other Women's businesses. Establishing a Credit Union was considered and one project financing another.
Pat Bartle elaborated on the Abortion Rally and put forward the proposal to have an Abortion Conference at the end of July to continue the pressure of the abortion struggle. It was felt a conference was needed to bring together all the forces who support a women's right to choose abortion and plan national strategy. She pointed out that one of the reasons that the abortion campaign had made so little headway in the past was because it had always been on the defensive, defending itself against, the anti-abortion, anti-women forces who continued to try and restrict women gaining access to safe legal abortions. It was now time for us to start stepping up our attacks, being visible, demanding that women be given their basic democratic rights to control their own bodies. The proposal was carried and plans are already underway to organise the conference, which is to be held in Auckland.
An idea for a Travelling Theatre Show to promote the abortion campaign and other feminist ideas was enthusiastically the country giving shows, teach-ins and setting up meetings for women to try and involve them in feminist activities.
A short report on the activities of the Victoria University Women's Choice Club was given and then Marie Buckley introduced the topic of Women and Violence. Wellington plans to hold a speak-out on this topic sometime in
The rest of the afternoon was taken up with discussions which included; policewomen in the feminist movement, separatism and workshops on lifestyles. During the evening we were entertained by the Auckland Drama Group who presented some superb feminist theatre.
This morning was devoted to discussion of the aims and future activities of the Radical Feminist Network. This network was set up at the last national caucus to coordinate feminist activities around the country and to set up communication links between them. As this network had proved unsuccessful there was a lot of discussion about the function and structure of it.
There was also much debate about the structure of the Caucus. Many felt that the lack of structure had let to a lot of time-wasting and important issues not being fully discussed. It also led to those with the loudest voices monopolising discussion. It was also pointed out that the Caucus was not representative enough a body of N.Z. feminists and any policymaking and reports coming out of it should be considered to be from individual members of various feminist groups.
Sue Aitchison-Windeler,
Wellington Feminist Collective and
Women's Choice Club member.
PS. Since this article was written everyone will be aware of the success of the Abortion Rally at parliament. Since the Caucus, work has gone ahead on arrangements for the Abortion Conference which is to be held in Auckland on July 31 - August 1. Information about the conference can be obtained from Pat Bartle 842-82 I (evenings) or at Salient Office on Wed., Thurs., and Fridays.
Another Personal View of the English Department.
In her article "A personal Response to the English Department" Kathleen Culliford claims that the English Department is satisfactory as it is because; (a) it provides "an interaction between tutor and student that brings about a process of learning", and (b) helps us to "attain a private awareness and understanding of a poet or novelist which transcends the bounds of a narrowing essay topic".
The evidence she gives for (a) is the fact that "lecturers are human beings who see the study of English as extending beyond the bounds of book-learning and into realms of human relationships". While I readily agree this is true, it nevertheless ignores the reality of a system, that despite all the good will on the part of our lecturers and tutors, prevents any real interaction between them and students.
The motivating force of this system is the principle of competitive assessment that is in turn specifically directed towards the creation of an artistic elite. This "survival of the fittest" ethic makes the learning that arises from human interaction very difficult because of the competitive basis of inter-student relationships and the power basis of staff-student relationships. It is not easy, especially for a first year student to relate to a tutor who hold your future (i.e. pass/fail) in their hands. I'm not saying staff deliberately wield this power, but the very existence of the power structure makes communication on an equal basis virtually impossible.
The only evidence she gives for point (b) is her own private experience. Now, although I accept the validity in this experience, I think many other people have had a different reaction. She talks about reaching a "marvellous transcendental state" from ones appreciation of literature
In my experience at least, movement towards this state is hindered by competitive assessment. It discourages creativity and personal involvment as we are restricted to a very narrow range by the proscribed limits of essays and exams How often have you noticed that the only books you ever read are proscribed texts?
Kathleen also poses a solution to a problem of "superficiality of approach" engendered by an excessive workload. She advises us to concentrate on a small number of authors as "many English lecturers seem to regard this as an acceptable approach". Where then is the English degree that is supposed to give us a specialised grounding in a large number of authors representing the whole span of literature?
If, as she seems to be implying, this specialised training is not in fact being given, why are we still clinging to the structures (i.e. competitive assessment and adherence to a "syllabus") that were designed to implement it
Finally, I would point out that both our articles have been "personal viewpoints"; I am not advocating that either take precedence, but that the choice be left open to the student.
M is a young Maori woman aged 22years. She assaults her mother.
"I decided to give her a cold bath - pulled her towards the bathroom, but she got away and ran next door. Next thing the police came - took me to Lower Hutt station".
Normally she would be dealt with by legal institutions. She would suffer all their class, sex and possibly race biases, but at least she'd benefit from the law's procedural safeguards. There would be an arrest, charge, and court appearance next morning, where she would be remanded and maybe obtain a duty solicitor.
At the hearing proper M could plead not guilty, thus require the police to call the mother as witness and prove the charge in open court. More likely she would plead guilty be asked if she had anything to say, then convicted and remanded for sentence pending a probation report. Eventually she would be fined and sentenced to some custodial treatment (e.g. a period of probation).
The law would have taken away her money and her freedom, but only after affording her certain procedural rights.
Instead M was not charged, and made no court appearance. She was removed from the law world to the medical world - taken by police car from Lower Hutt to Porirua Hospital, where next morning she received shock treatment.
Shock was administered three more times over the next 3 weeks, despite her protests to Dr P. By chance, I happened then to see her - scared of the treatment, confused about what would happen next, and consequently planning to run away.
"I don't like that shock - it makes me forget things -I told the doctor but he just says its best for me - I don't think so - I'm getting out of here".
Those who have seen shock treatment in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" could understand her fear, but she agreed to delay the escape while I found a lawyer to try to help her.
The police had decided to have M detained under $ 19 of the Mental Health Act Medical and ceased to be "legal".
The Mental Health Act sets up a 2-step procedure:
As the result, a person is punished by what amounts to imprisonment, for what was a criminal offence, via an almost complete disregard for procedural legal rights. This is done by diverting the person into the medical world, where punishment becomes "treatment in the patient's best interests" and rights have no place. M's case illustrates the following legal defects in the $ 19-$ 20 procedure:-
In fact M never stayed for the magistrate's inquiry. Perceiving that the law would be of little use, and fearing the next installment of shock treatment, she went A.W.O.L. Had she stayed, she probably would have been committed, because she had what would be called a "history of mental disorder".
Presumably this is what caused the Lower Hutt police to use S19 rather than charge her with assault. They don't send everyone to Porirua. But too many victims of our society come to acquire characteristics of so-called "mental disorder".
M tried to commit suicide six years ago: "My boyfriend had beaten me up real bad - almost killed me -so I decided to finish it off". The suicide attempt is evidence of "mental disorder" in M, wheras in fact it was caused by the grave abuse of M by another person. She pays now, for a wrong done to her in the past.
Secondly, she tried to take her clothes off at the police station - evidence of mental disorder or just a slightly rebellious character in a strange situation?
Thirdly, there was a history of mental disorder in the family" - yet the incidence of mental illness is far higher in lower class families like M's compared with the middle class families of most university students.
The police's decision to use S19 is based on evidence of what is called "mental disorder" but which is more like evidence of social deprivation and victimage. The immediate result of the decision is, the person is denied almost all procedural legal rights: M was channeled into a medical world where legal rights scarcely exist. The end result is detention for an unspecified period against the person's will.
A criminal offence - a criminal punishment - but no due process of law connecting the two. The Mental Health Act.
In case anybody is wondering what happened at the last meeting of the Faculty of Arts, (like the other students reps), the answer is very little of concern and even less of interest. Evidently negotiations are Still underway between the Arts Fac. and Science Fac investigating the possibility that B-type BSc students can proceed to BA (Hons). Few of those present (about 30 members) were sure of the state of these discussions especially those staff who are members of both faculties.
Next came Course Regulation Amendment VUW/76 - BA/34. The purpose of this, as officially outlined, is to "introduce students in their first year (or any other time, it was later decided) to the contextual study of Law by the addition of a new 6 credit course in law, Law in Society (LAWS 111)".
However the real reason for the introduction of this course is not so that Art students perse can benefit but rather those students who firstly enrol in LLB, and drop out disillusioned can be then credited with six credits to a B.A. While several members of the faculty thought that the course would be of considerable value to many students taking a full arts degree, Mr Thomas, the Dean of Law, was quick to point out that in reality it would be available only to law students, because of a class maximum of 360-370 would mean that 30 or less Arts students would be able to enrol.
Professor Robb (Sociology) was quite prepared to scrap the idea at this point, relating how difficult it was to deal with disatisfied students in restricted courses, with which he had had experience.
The debate then wandered off into a boring session on financial and staffing implications. Hours later, as always, the motion was passed. Law in Society is now part of the BA but not for BA students... unless you are very lucky, or know the Dean of Law personally.
The Faculties of Arts Languages and Literature Committee on Post-graduate Degrees (convened by G.R. Hawke, of Economic History fame), presented its report. The report itself is very good, attempting to improve the situation for PhD students, by providing better accomodation within the university, and ensuring a more complete liason between the student and department and supervisor. The discussion that followed however was totally boring, and centered around the wording "regularly working at the University". While some members wanted to ensure that the supervisor could meet the student on the beach at Waikanae on a fine summers day, other members were adament that research students and supervisors could not discuss their topics at the pub. Naturally the report was received and adopted, and forwarded to higher powers.
The next motion passed was to reestablish a criteria for the award of compensation passes; "that all students for the BA degree who, having gained terms, have failed to pass in their final year not more than 12 credits necessary for completing the degree, be considered by the committee". The only real dissent came from Prof. Sloan (Economics), who was distressed that the terms requirement would make things too easy, citing examples in the Economics Department where terms are gained on enrolling. These fears were quieted by assurances that the committee could handle such discrepancies.
The Development of Religious Studies, first to offer honours courses and secondly to become a full department was "recommended as a matter of urgency" by the Faculty, but not without a self-abuse session on the financial and staffing inadequacies within the University.
It seems that the Religious Studies people will continue to exist as a proto-department under Philosopy for some time yet.
By this time the boredom had become quite intense and rather than listen to the yawns of surrounding lecturers, I decided to give the Report on the Language Labs, and General Business a miss.....
Recently Victoria University Law Faculty Club was Host to the New Zealand Law Students' Association Annual Conference. Part of the conference was a seminar entitled "The problem of Legal Education". The pamphlet advertising the conference stated that a "leading practitioner, an educationalist, plus a former gang member (now a social worker)" would address the seminar. Prior to the conference the President of the Law Faculty Club, Deidre Milne addressed law students in class on the wisdom of attending the seminar. The draw card was "the former gang member (now a social worker)" as this was continually emphasised.
Students arriving at the seminar expected also to meet fellow law student from all four law faculties in New Zealand. That was after all the intention of the conference. They were to be disappointed. A lone law student had arrived from Otago. None had come from Canterbury. Two law students had arrived from Auckland. Those two knew better however and were studying in the library.
The seminar commenced with 28 students from Victoria present and about 5 staff members. The most significant question raised during the seminar was made not by a law student but by the Dean of the Law Faculty Mr J. Thomas. He asked whether any student from any other centre had any questions to ask. Members of the executive of the Vic Law Faculty Club could not understand the significance of that question. If they had they would not have been amused. Any other New Zealand university club holding an annual conference and finding only one person from another university would realise something was wrong with the organisation. Not so for Law students. Other students should be sympathetic to law students lack of imagination and foresight.
The advertised "leading practitioner" was Dr Richardson who is a member of the University Council. Dr Richardson admitted to not knowing what method of teaching the Law Faculty was engated upon since he left the Faculty three years ago. As a member of the university council Dr Richardson should be more aware of what is going on in the university. Dr Richardson thought legal education should provide general information about the legal systems and also a total immersion in case law. During questions Dr Richardson eluciated an interesting comment to the effect that he found Magistrates courts in South Africa much fairer than Magistrates Courts in New Zealand.
Next speaker was an educationalist Dr Nicholls. He suggested that the development of Moral reasoning was important in legal education. Laws he suggested should be criticised and evaluated by people standing themselves outside these laws. During his address Dr Nicholls enunciated that "planets went round the earth". Obviously educationalists are not in tune with the rest of society who believe planets travel round the sun.
Next speaker was "the gang member (and now social worker)". This turned out to be Dennis O Reilly. Dennis would have done better by bringing some of his friends and having a rumble with Deidre and the executive of the Law Faculty Club. Dennis talked about lawyers being parasites feeding of an expensive joke called justice. He stated that the police realised that certain types of people were not interested in having a lawyer because of expense and consequently the police overstepped the law prosecuting and persecuting such luckless victims. Dennis's speech was the most interesting. No doubt because he is not an academic.
During questions Deidre Milne stated there was too much learning and not enough teaching of skills such as under-standing people.
Professor Palmer made his presence known, at the meeting. He has definite ideas of legal education in New Zealand. All of them borrowed from America. Law students wish he was still in America. Prof. Palmer might learn more about the real educational needs in New Zealand by talking to New Zealanders.
New Zealand Law Students Association Conference was a dismal failure. This was due in part to disinterest shown by law students. The real failure belonged to the Law Faculty Club, executive committee. Apart from one member, John McBride, the Law Faculty Club is the most reactionary student club on campus. When the executive was elected by law students at the beginning of the year the staff were jubliant, They were not fooled by the low calibre of the executive. The students who elected this committee were duped. Many things are wrong with the Law Faculty Department, but the Law Faculty Club are oblivious to the difficulties. The club has spent most of the year organising the New Zealand Law Students Association Conference at which only themselves turned up.
There are many issues at large in broadcasting at present, among them the 'need for overall financial control' and "Parliamentary accountability". They will be the subject of a later article. In this issue Salient reporter John McBride looks narrowly at the news (i.e. the present, separate news gathering sendees). Ron Jarden stresses that the Government is not picking on the news: "Everything will be scrutinized". The news just happens to be first, [phone interview with Jarden, 30/6/76] Nevertheless, the Government claims savings can be made in this specific area, thus the news issue can rightly be studied in isolation.
Few people realise how brief the Government policy is. It's exhausted in twenty-three lines of a press release of 22 June, stating that the news shall be amalgamated, and that the reason is "financial efficiency". There is nothing on now the amalgamation will proceed - the policy asserts that all the details "will be for the new NZBC to investigate" [press statement NZ Broadcasting, Minister of Broadcasting
The Government's admitted lack of knowledge of details binds it in a contradiction. It does not know how news is to be merged, thus it cannot know how much can be saved. Yet it claims to know enough to be sure it is worthwhile to amalgamate the news for financial reasons.
When asked what would happen if, after all the investigations, the NZBC found it cheaper to keep 2 news services Ron Jarden's reply was similar to the Government's "Our enquiries are sufficiently advanced so that we know that won't be"!
According to Jarden they had:
These sources indicated "that duplication in news is an expensive area" [Jarden - phone - 30/6]. My own investigations of the same sources, indicates the contrary.
Last Saturday (26 June) the Association of Broadcasting Journalists made submissions to Templeton on news services. Included was a calculation of estimated savings from a merger. This used BCNZ committee figures but was generous to the Government. Anyway, it gives an accurate indication of the BCNZ findings which the Government claims to have considered:
The calculation assumes that the more well established TV I news team will be the survivor. And, when considering the miniscule $442,000 "saving" remember that:
So far as can be ascertained, the figures the so-called "administrators" gave Templetons "investigators", were grossly inflated in the 22 June press statement. One such administrator who accompanied Templeton's investigators around Avalon and gave correct figures when asked (it was his duty to answer questions - correctly) gave his estimate of news staff numbers as "about 260-70 but definitely under 300". This appears in Templetons statement as "360". And this TV I administrator's estimate of total new costs (TV I plus 2 plus Radio NZ) was well under the "$6m" claimed in the 22 June press statement. [footnote -indeed, this is obvious. Take the total of TV I and 2 news and current affairs costs, $3.2m. Now, would Radio NZ spend $28 m to make up the $6m claimed
Thus the two figures cited by the Government to demonstrate a build up in news costs and staffing, are much inflated - in comparison with the figures the Government investigators obtained. And I assure you that my source is very reliable.
This was based on the former NZer, former ITN boards "knowledge and observation" of the NZ scene Sir Geoffrey takes a great interest in NZ broadcasting, particularly the
Since he has not been involved in the corporations he is unlikely to have given cost figures to dispute BCNZ's. But even if the agreed with the Government figure of "$6m 10 percent of total broadcasting expenditure" he could not have called the news services expensive.
Ten percent is a good average figure - both Cox's ITN plus the BBC devote 10 percent of their total expenditure to the news. By using the adjectival phrase "more than" 10 percent, the government is just employing a well known method of lying with
TV 1's news budget for
Thus TV news in New Zealand is not "expensive" and it is unlikely that Sir Geoffrey Cox, a former head of ITN, said so.
A further example. Since the beginning of the Governments talk about news amalgamations, Templeton has given the impression there will be no redundancy - only a staff non-replacement policy. At Avalon last Saturday he stated to broadcasting journalists that there would be no redundancy when the second news team disappears. But under questioning he said journalists should be looking to their redundancy agreement and that there had already been talks to that effect with the PSA. But (again!) PSA president Jim Turner was present and denied that there had been such talks, [source: responsible spokesman for broadcasting journalists - contacted on 29/6].
The decision to merge the news was not really made for financial reasons. The contradiction in the Governments assertion, that it "knows savings can be made" but does not know how or how much (even vaguely) is now becoming too burdensome to maintain. It makes statements like "economising on news costs would enable the Government to speed up expanded coverage of TV2 transmission into country areas" [Post 16/6/76 look very dubious.
So now they appear to be putting a new argument that the separate news services may be ultravires the the Broadcasting Act. This was the first matter Ron Jarden mentioned, in a phone interview on 30 June. He immediately qualified his words, saying "of course that's water under the bridge now, but it does show that the journalists' behaviour has been unnecessarily spontaneous. They should have jumped up and down in
Details of the argument: S1 1(I) (C) of the
However, the suggestion that this agreement is a violation of S1 l(i)(c) is both an insult and serious allegation against the BCNZ Board, and legally untenable.
A proper construction of the Act must look at the commonly accepted meaning of the words "for their use in the.... production of news." "Production" includes filming, that is, includes the news gathering function, "their use" plainly means use by TV1 and TV2, i.e. separately BCNZ can provide stories, or film, but the corporations separately have a clear power to plan, film, as well as present their own footage. And by S 53(h) and S56 the corproations have powers to arrange production of "programmes". News is a program. Thus the attempt to replace the increasingly difficult to maintain "financial efficiency" argument cannot succeed.
Every year in the United States alone, there are more than 1,000 officially acknowledged accidents in nuclear facilities. Of these, between 50 and 100 are in the "serious" category.
Each U.S nuclear power plant is forced to shut down for repairs on average ten times per year as a result of mechanical or human failure.
Nobody knows precisely how many mishaps there have been so far - many go unreported, and the military reactors are immune from public scrutiny - but the following is a list of just some of the many publicised and fully reported near misses:-
The waste from the military plutonium production facilities at Hanford is stores in 150 huge tanks, some of which are leaking already. Over half a million gallons are lost. Ironically, though these wastes must be stores for thousands of years, the leaks are blamed on "old Tanks"
The Windscale No. 1 Plutonium reactor was destroyed by an internal fire caused when un unexpected surge of heat ignited fuel and graphite in the air coolant. Only air filters, installed on the coolant discharge stacks in the preceding months as a belated safety precaution, prevented a disastrous spread of radioactivity over the surrounding countryside. Many thousands of gallons of milk contaminated with radioactive iodine 131 had to be poured into the sea, and the plume of radioactivity was detected by instruments in London, a few thousand miles away.
Three operators were killed in a burst of radiation as an experimental reactor in Idaho goes out of control. The reactor core is destroyed, and a full week goes by before shielded clean-up workers can enter the building to recover the bodies.
A piece of sheet metal - added as an after thought safety device deep inside the core cooling complex tears loose, blocking the flow of coolant. The temperature of the reactor core soars beyond the reach of the mechanisms on hand to control it. There is a partial melt down and for several agonised hours, officials face the prospect of having to order the complete evacuation of Detroit. The first Sodium cooled Fast Breeder Reactor to be built for a new generation of commercial electricity is now in ruin, deserted by all except permanent security guards. It is decided to close down and dismantle this, the Enrico Fermi No. I reactor - the trouble is that over a decade later nobody knows how to
At the San Onofre nuclear plant in southern California a turbine blade breaks, causing alarmed operators to turn off the reactor too quickly. This activates a back up cooling system which should have been turned off. As a plant spokesman later says: "Someone forgot". This causes a drop in pressure thus causing the emergency core cooling system to turn on; however, there is no place for the emergency cooling water to go. This causes both the plant and its emergency core cooling system to be damaged by the resulting vibrations, and the plant is shut down for months.
Fuel elements discharge from the Robert Ginna reactor in Rochester, New York, and prove to have undergone serious deformation during irradation. The fuel pin cladding is crushed and crumpled, and upon examination is found to be partially empty. Nobody knows how this happened - but similar types of fuel are being used in several factors now in operation in the United States Worries are being expressed that a wholly new phenomenon has been discovered, not necessarily confined to this type of fuel element.
Hijackers sieze a Southern Airways jet and threaten to crash it into the dale Ridge Nuclear power station in Tennessee. U.S. fighter planes stand by to shoot it down and the station (since nothing else can be done) is evacuated.
861 "safety-related" accidents are officially reported in the AEC's annual report on nuclear facilities. Several nuclear utilities are discovered to have failed to report additional accidents.
In
An operator's mistake causes 50,000 gallons of radioactive water to be emptied into the basement of the Oyster Creek nuclear plant in New Jersey, causing it to close down.
The Vermont Yankee plant experiences 17 major shut-downs in its first 19 months of "operation", and it is learned that the devices critically important in controlling the nuclear reaction were installed upside down.
A nuclear power station nearing completion in Argentina is seized by guerillas.
American observation satellite detects a dosium flare at the Russians' East Breeder reactor at Shevchenko on the Caspian Sea. This is thought to indicate a release of several hundred litres of liquid sodium coolant, which reacted explosively with water, certainly one, and probably two similar accidents have already occured at Shevchenko.
A
All four fuel reprocessing plants in the USA are shut down The plant at the West Valley, New York, is emitting more than the permissible levels of radioactivity. To date, none of the plants are back in operation.
At the twin-reactor nuclear power station at Browns Ferry an electrician is using a candle to detect air leaks in the pressurised cable ducts under the control room. The candle touches the "flame-retardant" plastic foam in the wall and sets it alight. The resultant cable fire disables, at a single stroke, five supposedly independent emergency core cooling systems, the remote controls for the several vital valves and diesel generators, and burns out of control for several hours. The incident is called a "Comedy of Errors", and exposes numerous equipment and operator failures. It has since been stated that there was one chance in ten trillion years of reactor operation that such an incident could have occured.
British nuclear power stations are threatened with bombing by the I.R.A.
At the Biblis(a) nuclear power station - the worlds largest - a man suceeds in walking through the security checks and room. He carried with him a bazooka capable of blasting a four inch hold in the pressure valve.
The Fessenhein nuclear power plant is blasted by two bombs, causing sufficient damage to the reactor core to put back construction work for three months. Responsibility is claimed by an anti-nuclear "commando" group linked to the Red Army Faction, or Bader-Meinhof Gang.
A month later tow charges explode simultaneously in the suburbs of Paris at offices and factories belonging to a French-American nuclear power company. One charge destroys experimental reactor valves at Argenteuil, the other heavily damaged the company's computer at Courbevoie. Resposibility is claimed by another terrorist "commando" group, inspired by the Fessenheim attack.
In Brittany, the Mont Aree nuclear power station is bombed, causing its immediate shut down. The attack is attributed to the Breton Liberation Front, a separatist movement.
Nuclear waste storage pits on the shores of Biscayne Bay are reported to be leaking at a rate of more than 90 gallons an hour. Both the company and the NCR have known about the leak for some years, but repair efforts are proving difficult due to radioactivity so intense that it is impossible for men to work in the pits.
If you are starting a new course in the second half year and are overworked and confused (pissed off)......
In the next two weeks, students have the power to evaluate and reject the assessment structure and the work requirements of their new courses. After that date, change is impossible due to university regulation.
Don't leave this important issue until it's too late - change the assessment structure and load now!
Discuss your assessment with your fellow students and obtain help through the Education Officer (Lindy Cassidy) c/o Studass Office and Salient.
The Silent Majority (A Muldoon knocking column).
The last fortnight's political events have been overshadowed by two important cultural activities, sex and sport.
The sordid affair of the MP involved in the Christchurch assault incident unfolded quickly but left a little time to reflect on the possibilities of other similar occurrances. Although Washington DC has regained it's composure after a flurry of admissions and relevations, at least the Yank politicians were involved in heterosexual incidents. Gerald O'Brien was charged with, being a male, indecently assaulting another male. Rumours abounded from Tamaki to Invercargill and points east about the identity of the originally un-named MP but well informed circles in the capital knew jolly well Most well informed circles do. Then the media blew it.
Getting around Dr Finlay's casebook which suppresses the name of the accused, a clause Martyn found embarrassing himself, they announced to the public two "unrelated" items. The first said the MP concerned was a prominent Wellington Labour man now in a Christchurch hospital The second mentioned O'Brien as admitted to hospital (nudge wink!)
TV1 hinted that if you didn't know by now you had to be deaf or unconscious. Bill Rowling failed to say anything further than "No comment", a nasty habit afflicting many politicians, but some were still puzzled as to what indecent assault actually was.
Law students will tell you a kick in the balls is as indecent as you know what. The sexual exploits of politicians should not be any business of ours (just as they shouldn't interfere with your activities), but the Americans set a precedent I cannot resist.
I'd be proud to think my MP had a bit on the side, a mistress being the same as a ministerial car. Performance in the House could be enhanced by a good ride before arriving for debates.
At about this stage, the rumours got out of hand and someone even suggested the SIS engineered the whole O'Brien incident. Obviously the Brigadier would deserve more than a knighthood for such an efficient operation if it were true I think though that our representatives are a pretty average lot. Mr Muldoon is married and returns to Tammy, his wife (not his pussy) and his.... cactus. One of his hobbies apparently is who reticulture.
The difference between his other hobby, the caucus and a cactus is of course with a cactus the pricks are on the outside.
The only winner in this fortnight's game is Dave Shand who is likely to take Island Bay if O'Brien is forced to resign. Meanwhile the All Blacks hid at Auckland's Intercontinental Hotel and as the National Business Review, a capitalist version of Salient suggested, will leave disguised as a C grade pipe band and a netball supporters group. They didn't.
Needless to say they left at a bad time, with the Olympics coming up and Soweto township (1,000,000) near Johannesburg city (600.000) in flames. Sticks and Stones may have hurt Vorster's bone but names like "bridge building" don't.
Even though Truth is running a pick-the-score contest (the prize being 100 Piper Scotch Whisky) the team is only 32 strong and this is where other papers ran off the tracks, trying to tell us about C grade pipe bands. The All Blacks may win four tests but New Zealand will lose the series diplomatically.
Yes, sex and sport obviously took precedence lately which goes to show both sex and sport have nothing to do with politics. Any inuendos are your imagination, not mine
On June 11th representatives of NZUSA visited the Minister of Education to put forward representations for an immediate cost of living increase in the Standard Tertiary Bursary, as well as to press him for the removal of the boarding abatement, bursary assistance for Ph.D students, and removal of the most pressing anomolies in the present bursary 'regulations'.
On all points they received a negative response and the Minister was evasive about the possibility of a review much before mid
Whether or not Gandar wants to continue to have "calm discussions" is of little consequence in the face of the complete lack of progress on bursaries. Talking has achieved nothing so far - the time has come to forcefully tell him that we are not content to be trodden on and left to face rising prices with empty pockets, or to allow education spending cuts to further deplete an already rickety education system.
Some people have been asking why the ne need for a cost -of living increase when they are receiving more money this year than ever before. Remember that the figure was announced by Amos in the
In that time we have had several general wage orders and there have been two cost-of-living increases since
In that time there have been large price increases in basic foodstuffs, electricity charges, postal charges, and transport charges. At a static income level students cannot hope to survive the continual price rises that occur. Remember that Muldoon and Co have frozen wages not prices.
With an increase in bursaries unlikely before
Other demands that must be raised are the removal of the boarding abatement which is an inequitous penalty based on the premise that regardless of your age (16 or 60) you should be living with your parents. There are other fatuous situations such as students whose parents have dies and they are deemed to be living in their university town despite the fact that their former guardians may live in Taupo. The anomolies are many - the action so far pitifully little.
There is also the case of the PhD students who do not qualify for any financial assistance This university and others has recognised the plight of this group and fully supports the placing of those not on post graduate scholarships on the Standard Tertiary Bursary. The UGC and the Government has not.
The Government response to these and other demands is illogically simple. Do nothing about the major points such as cost of living, increases, Ph.D. students, the removal of the abatement and others until there has been a total review of the whole bursary system (Wouldn't want to be seen making progress would we now?)
Let there be no mistake - the time to act is now Gandar and his depart mental hacks must be shown that we are not prepared to talk to a political brick wall.
The Education Committee has started preparations for protest action culminating in a march to Parliament on July 23rd. A start was made the last University Council meeting when a motion was moved by the student reps. passed without dissent fully supporting NZUSA in its representations to Government on the Standard Tertiary Bursary..". A plan of action has been out lined which will include speaking to our local M.P.s (Ken Comber and Hugh Templeton) later this week, the involvement of the Polytech and Teachers College students and other educations groups like NZEI. PPTA, a full discussion on campus, lectures and at forums, full coverage through the news media. It is essential that everyone fully acquaints themselves with the bursary situation. In the next issue will be a letter from John Blincoe, President of NZUSA, to all students setting out the facts.
The Education Committee is meeting again in the Board Room at 12 noon this Tuesday to review the situation and continue planning All people are welcome and encouraged to participate.
We are at a crucial stage in the struggle for a just and equitable bursary system that will enable any person to continue their education without tear of financial hardship. Show your support by taking part in the planning activities and most of all taking part in the protest march on Parliament on July 23.
Any persons wanting help or discuss bursaries should see: Gyles Beckford at Studass Office phone 845516 (home) or Lindy Cassidy at Studass Office.
When it comes to electricity policy, New. Zealand governments have some very strange priorities. Electricity workers suffer attacks on their living standards, New Zealand consumers face accelerating power bills and power cuts, while big multinational companies get huge amounts of power at ridiculously low rates. The government goes out of its way to serve the big multinationals, and at the same time penalises New Zealand consumers and workers (like the P.S.A. electricity group). The chief beneficiary of present electricity policy is the Comalco Bluff aluminium smelter. It has a fascinating and revealing history.
Following secret talks in the late
In
Construction of the power scheme was dogged with problems, and the overall cost of construction, estimated at $66 million in
The Bluff smelter is run by New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Ltd., a consortium of Sumitomo Chemical of Japan (25%) Showa Denko of Japan (25%), and Comalco of Australia (50%). Comalco of Australia is in turn 45% owned by Kaiser Chemical Corporation of the U.S. 45% by Conzic Riotinto of Australia (itself a subsidiary of the massive Rio Tinto Zinc Corporation of Great Britain), and 10% by Australian and New Zealand shareholding. These 10% shares are largely held by insurance companies and the like, but a scandal was raised in
Raw materials for the smelter came from Comalco Industries of Australia, a parent of the Bluff smelter. Comalco mines aluminium are in Weipa in Northern Queensland, and pruifies it into alumina at its refinery in Gladstone, Queensland. It is then shipped to Bluff and reduced to molten aluminium in massive electrolytic cells called pots. The aluminium is cast into ingots and sold back to Comalco and its Japanese partners. Thus New Zealand Aluminium Smelters can adjust its buying and selling prices so that it does not make a profit on its smelting operations - this is in fact its policy.
The smelter is designed to run 24 hours a day all year, and when power is short for the rest of New Zealand, Comalco is assured of all it needs. Power is the key to why Comalco is here, and it is the key to why so many New Zealanders oppose it. The giant companies owning the smelter are here solely for the cheap power they are guaranteed (for 99 years). It pays them to incur all the shipping costs from Australia to New Zealand, and from New Zealand to Japan, just because the power they get here is so cheap.
But while Comalco consumes all this power - estimated at at least one tenth of New Zealand's electricity - the New Zealand people face a power "crisis":
The whole set-up at Comalco is a burden on the New Zealand people. There is widespread opposition to it. To draw attention to this state of affairs, the Campaign Against Foreign Control in New Zealand (CAFCINZ), is organising a demonstration at the smelter for the weekend July 31 and August 1. Buses will be taken down from at least Christchurch and Dunedin. Costs at this stage should be at most $20 for the weekend (from Christ-church). All enquiries from people interested in going, and from people wishing to support the demonstration should be sent to P.O. Box 2258, Christchurch. A $5 deposit now will ensure a place on one of the buses.
The demonstration will raise three demands at least.
CAFCINZ has been active in exposing and opposing foreign domination of New Zealand, and hopes to bring to peoples attention just how much the multinationals dictate our lives. CAFCINZ does not believe in the hollow words of politicians, but feels people themsleves must take action to make any change in this state of affairs. Prime Ministers Kirk, Rowling and Muldoon have all promised "renegotiations" with Comalco, but nothing has happened. Now that the elections are over, Muldoon too is backing down on his pre-election promise. Of what is he scared?
We urge you to support the demonstration and help to make sure that a situation where a multinational giant uses 10% of the country's electricity at minimal rates (at the expense of New Zealand people suffering) will be ended, and will not happen again.
1. The change in the strategic position of the United States following its defeat in Indochina can be readily seen from a few examples.
If it hadn't been thrashed in Indochina, could we imagine the United States accepting the closure of its bases in Thailand? Could we imagine it failing to intervene directly in Angola, rather than using the South African racists as proxies?
Whereas 10 years ago the US was expanding its armed forces overseas, including the dispatch of more than half a million troops to Vietnam, now it is contracting to new lines. The American presence in East Asia peaked at about 874,000 in
In mid-
If we take other factors into account (some of which I listed in my first article) and dismiss the simple-minded appraisal which pervades Lane and Mulrennan's article, we can see that the upperhand lies with the Soviet Union strategically.
2. In an effort to scatter me to the winds with self-righteous rhetoric, Lane and Mulrennan thunder: "What is Auld trying to say? Does he think that the Soviet Union has no right to be there (i.e. in the Indian Ocean)?" They note that the "Auckland Star" doesn't agree with me as it upholds freedom of the seas for all navies.
Really, how can you approach serious political questions in such an infantile way. What is important is not abstract "rights", but what policy best serves the interests of the people in the Indian Ocean area and world peace. Ridding the Indian Ocean of superpower rivalries (i.e. totally excluding great power rivalries and their attendent defence systems) is such a policy.
I support the Indian Ocean peace zone proposal advanced by Sri Lanka and other countries, just as I support the Pacific peace zone proposal. In particular, the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, should get out of the Indian Ocean.
That is also the view of Indian Ocean states. Noting the instabilities in the Indian Ocean area and the exacerbation of superpower rivalry in
By way of an aside: I am certain that the Socialist Action League will know more than Indian Ocean states as to what is their best interest, just as they knew better than the three Indochinese peoples as to how best defeat the US aggressors.
It doesn't surprise me that the "Auckland Star" should agree with Lane and Mulrennan that the Soviet navy should have freedom of the seas. The imperialists have always demanded "freedom of the seas" so that they can apply their sea power to the maximum. Just one example: In a discussion of British defence problems, Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Gretton thundered against any extension of the 3 miles limit and stated: 'It is of the greatest importance that this erosion be stopped and liberty of movement at sea fully restored." ("Martime Strategy",
3. Lane and Mulrennan quote extensively from an article by Owen Wilkes in "Critic". Unfortunately, it is wrong on a number of important details.
First, Berbera is a Soviet base. It has a 15,000 ft runway which, when completed, will be able to handle any type of Soviet aircraft, assembly, storage and handling facilities for cruise and surface-to-air missiles, a long range communications facility, a huge fuel storage depot and barracks to hold 1500 men
When the US delegation of congressmen inspected Berbera last year, the Soviets refused them access to the communications facility and a Soviet ship at anchor. They reported that their inspection confirmed Schlesinger's allegations that Berbera was a Soviet base.
During the OKFAN II global naval exercise Soviet long range reconnaissance aircraft flew from Berbera over Indian Ocean shipping lanes. The "old (
Second, the fact that the US entered the Indian Ocean in the early 50s is irrelevant to the question of Soviet naval expansion in the 60s and early 70s. Actually, the US presence in the Indian Ocean was almost nonexistent until the Soviet navy entered it permanently in
Third the Soviet presence in the Indian Ocean has averaged 2 to 3 times that of the US during the present decade. Generally every three months for six weeks at a time the US deploys a task force from its Pacific fleet in the Indian Ocean. Usually it consists of one or two aircraft carriers (with 60 planes each), two or three destroyers, frigates and store ships. In contrast the Soviet presence is continuous. The task force is often one or two subs, three of four guided-missile cruisers and destroyers and auxiliaries.
Superpower rivalry in the Indian Ocean area began in real earnest during India's dismemberment of Pakistan in Enterprise, was stationed in the Bay of Bengal. The Soviets matched this with a 26 ship force. During the
Fourth, when it was originally conceived. Diego Garcia was to be an austere communications base for monitoring space and surface ships and submarines to replace that at Asmara in Ethiopia. But following the Soviet move into the Indian Ocean, particularly when Berbera was developed, the US upgraded it to a full naval base. When completed in
Fifth,.Wilkes (and therefore Lane and Mulrennan) assumes that the entrances to the Indian Ocean are controlled by US clients. That may be their view but it doesn't conform with reality. The Soviet Union has free access to the Indian Ocean through the Malacca Straits and the Suez canal. Any of its ships, including its aircraft carriers, can pass through the Suez from the Mediterranean without difficulty. The Horn of Africa (i.e. the area around the Gulf of Aden) is populated with states friendly to the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union is moving rapidly to improve relations with Indonesia and has just granted massive "aid" for three projects there. It can use Singapore freely for ship repairs to its maritime and fishing fleet. This year it has signed contracts worth $26 million dollars with the government-owned Keppel shipyards.
4. Lane and Mulrennan state that Congressman Les Aspin said that the US outspent the Soviet Union two to one for major surface ships in the past 5 years. Even if this is true (CIA estimates for Soviet military spending have been substantially too low in recent years, e.g., the CIA estimated that the Soviet Union spent 6% of GNP whereas it is nearer 10%-15%), it is not relevant. The US has concentrated on big surface ships, whereas the Soviet Union has deliberately built smaller surface ships which are fast and have great striking power. In a surprise attack the Soviet ship-to-ship missiles will create havoc in the American fleet. In addition, the Soviet Union has a powerful submarine fleet which has improved in quality immensely, even though it is smaller than in earlier years.
Since
According to "The Military Balance,
The May issue of "Strategic Survey", published by the IISS, notes that in naval warfare the advantage has moved in favour of small, fast ships with advanced rocket weapons (a Soviet-style navy) and away from larger vessels such as aircraft carriers (a US-style navy).
5. Lane and Mulrennan appear to think that TV1's Simon Walker discredited Muldoons claims about Soviet naval expansion. By now they are possibly aware that it was Walker, rather than Muldoon, who was wrong on all substantive points.
The cruious thing about Walkers performance was that the allegedly mythical Soviet ships are listed in standard referenc works freely available in New Zealand.
For example, the PETYA III is listed in 'The Military Balance,
The events occurring in South Africa during the last few weeks have shown up the frustration existing within the brutal apartheid system.
Soweto and other black African towns have been transformed overnight from seemingly peaceful dormitories to raging infernos. And the Government's answer is more bullets, more police, and more stringent regulations.
Anyone who has been surprised by the violence unleashed should look deeper at the day-today experiences by a black worker, or any South African working for change to the apartheid system.
In this article NZUSA Southern Africa Scholarship holder, Henry Isaacs, describes the life of critics of the system in the face of a repressive police force, and an equally oppressive legal system.
When I turn on my radio and hear that yet another detainee has died at the hands of Vorster's security police I realise that we've been lied to - Hitler is not dead! He is alive and well in the Union Buildings, in Pretoria.
On Friday "Mrs Lydia Mdluli, the widow of Mr Joseph Mdluli who died on Friday while being detained by the Durban Security Police, today claimed that her husband's body was bruised, swollen and cut when she identified it at the government mortuary on Saturday. "The post mortem on the former member of the banned African National Congress was performed yesterday but the finding is still to be released. "Surrounded by fellow mourners at her Lamontville home, Mrs Mdluli (48) today told The Daily News that she first saw her husband's body on Saturday. She was accompanied by her only child, Thomas (25) and an attorney. "Mrs Mdluli said her husband was lying on his back on a glass encased slab. "She said a severe swelling stretched across his forehead. His lower lip was bruised and cut, and his stomach was dilated to twice its normal size. "Mrs Mdluli said these injuries were witnessed by both her son and the attorney who accompanied her. "She and her son yesterday saw the body for a second time - after the post mortem had been performed. "Mrs Mdluli said the glass case had been removed enabling her to touch her husband. "She lifted his head and saw two criss-cross cuts at the base of the skull near the back of his left ear. A watery substance was oozing from the wounds which measured about 3cm and 5cm respectively. The forehead swelling had subsided she said. "Mr Thomas Mdluli today confirmed all his mother's observations. He and Mrs Mdluli both said they were prepared to swear on oath to their allegations and that Mr Mdluli suffered none of these injuries before being detained last Thursday. "Their attorney could not be contacted for comment. "Brigadier A.O. Hansen, Durban's CID chief who is heading an investigation into Mr Mdluli's death said today he had no comment to make on Mrs Mdluli's allegations."
On Wednesday 24 March the Security Police detained MrMlungifi Griffiths Mxenge, the attorney and close friend of Joseph Mdluli. Colonel Francois Stecnkamp, head of the Security Police in Durban, said that Mr Mxenge, a former Robben Island prisoner was being held under Section Six of the Terrorism Act, which provides for indefinite detention without trial. (2) Any person who is detained under the so-called Terrorism Act has no access to family, friend, or lawyers, and no court of law can pronounce on the validity of any action taken under the Act. Mrs Edna Mdingi, wife of another detainee, Mr Leonard Mdingi who has been in custody since
Joseph Mdluli is neither the first nor will he be the last, to be murdered by the South African Security Police whose extensive arbitrary powers of arrest and indefinite incommunicado detention without trial are grossly abused.
On Wednesday
In neither case was any announcement made by the police until the matter had been made public by the Rand Daily Mail acting on information from the families of the victims. Only then did Brigadier P. Kruger of the Security Police confirm the death of Timol. He said that he "jumped from the 10th floor of John Vorster Square at 4pm. He committed suicide." The police version was elaborated on by Major-General Buys in an interview with the Nationalist Sunday paper Rapport. He repeated the allegation that Timol had committed suicide: "...The Indian dashed for the window and jumped out. Nobody frightened him or touched him.....We don't threaten anyone or assault anyone."
We don't know just who, after more than a decade of verified stories of police torture, brutality and murder, Buys expected would believe him. Just for good measure he added: "Today Ahmed Timol is a hero of the Communists... We, who know the Communists, know that when they want to go over to violence they have to swear on oath to commit suicide rather than name their comrades. They are taught to jump out before they are interrogated."
Ahmed Timol's death recalls in almost exact detail that of Suliman ("Babla") Saloojee, another young black South African whose death on
They are by no means the first martyrs to have died while under detention without trial. The Rand Daily Mail,
The murder of Ahmed Timol and the torture of Mohammed Essop sparked off a wave or seething anger and indignation among all sections of South African opinion, whose public expression rose to heights of outspokeness not reached under the Police State regime for many years, and extended beyond the oppressed majority to broad sections of the liberal and religious whites. A characteristic note was struck by an editorial in the Rand Daily Mail:
"Never in the history of South Africa has a full judicial Commission of Inquiry been more urgently needed than now. It is imperative that the Prime Minister appoint one forthwith to investigate the methods of interrogation used by the Security Police. If he fails to do so then the public will be left to assume the worst.
"As things stand there are probably few South Africans who don't believe in their own minds that the Security Police use third-degree methods. Many may justify it on the grounds that "we are at war" and these detainees are "enemies of the State". But that is another matter. What is important here is that nearly everyone believes it is happening and for that reason it is the State's duty to establish the truth publicly and conclusively.
"Thus Miss Stephanie Kemp, who claimed an interrogator had beaten her head against the floor, was paid R 1000 plus costs. Mr Alan Brooks, who claimed his ankle had been broken, was paid an undisclosed sum. Mr Gabriel Mbindi, who claimed he had suffered "cruel and brutal" assaults - including electric shock torture - was paid R3000. And only last April the widow of the Imam Abdullah Haron, who died in detention, was paid R5000.
"Which brings us to this alarming matter of the deaths. To the best of our knowledge there have been 17 or
"Of these, 10 are said to have committed suicide. And the vital question here is, what drove them to do so? Was it to ensure thay they did not disclose information vital to some underground cause? Or was it because they could no longer endure the interrogation?
"There are other questionable matters, too. Mr Ahmed Timol is the second detainee to have plunged from a high-storey window. Bars were secured to the upper windows of The Grays after Mr Suliman Salojee fell to his death in
"Then there was the case of Mr Nicodemus Kgoathe, who was said to have slipped in a shower room and died of concussion. And the Iman, who was said to have fallen down a flight of steps and sustained 26 bruises and other injuries - not all of which, according to the inquest magistrate, could have been caused by such a fall.
"But there has been no Commission of Inquiry into any of this. Not even after Mrs Catherine Taylor, the MP for Wynberg, named a police sergeant whom she said had assaulted the Imam - and named two other police men whom she said knew about this and were covering up the facts.
"It is bad enough in the first place that the Security Police should have such sweeping powers; they go way beyond what would be considered safe for democracy in any normal Western democracy. If, as the Government argues, unusual conditions in South Africa warrant the granting of these unusual powers, then they should be accompanied by unusual vigilance to ensure that there is no abuse.
"But instead of this, the attitude of the authorities seems to be to avoid inquiry when questionable things happen.
"And there have certainly been enough questionable things in the eight years since detention without trial began in earnest.
"To begin with solitary confinement - which seems to be standard precodure with the Security Police - is itself highly questionable. When it first began under the 90-Day, law. 60 psychiatrists, psychologists and medical specialists of the highest repute put their names to a statement condemning it as "inhuman" and equating it with physical torture. Since then the laws have became tougher and there have been instances of people being detained incommunicado and sometimes even unbeknown to the public, for as long as two years.
"There have been detainees who had to go to hospital or receive medical treatment after their release. At least one we know of spent 43 days in a mental institution.
"There have been sworn affidavits from detainees alleging that they have been made to stand in one spot while
There have been statements in court and in Parliament
Yet in none of these cases has the truth been fully tested.
Not even after the Rev. Bearnard Wrankmore has fasted
Worst of all, however, is that the authorities seem to feel
The Chief of the Security Police is silent. The Commissioner
This is the arrogance of unlimited power that only a full
The strict censorship laws and the Prisons Act quite
"Mr Zephaniah Mothupeng is applying for leave to institute a pauper's suit against the Minister of Justice for $5000 ($7,500).... Mr Mothupeng claims that he was hit and kicked and later made to undress. His hands were tied and a stick was placed under his knees and above his elbows. A canvas bag was placed over his head, he alleges, and while in this position he was hit and kicked and told repeatedly. Speak! Speak!.
"...The petition says that Mr Mothupeng alleges his body was 'jerking violently'. .....He heard a 'cracking vibrating noise....When he arrived back at another prison he felt weak and sick, his whole body was in pain, his fingers burned and his body was shaking. He felt as if he was 'going off his head'."
Political prisoners and detainees have been subjected to the greatest brutalities and most severe humiliations us the following affidavit by Lindiso Richard Gale la of Capetown reveals:
"During all the period I spent in Robben Island, it was the daily practice of one Van Zyl, First Aid Attendant of the Prison Staff, to push his finger into my rectum and those of my working colleagues every evening on our return from work. This had an adverse effect on my health and I received no medical attention when I complained about this. Similarly when I injured my left ankle at work in
"I now want to comment on the life of Pan Africanist Congress prisoners on Robben Island, and the conditions under which they lived while I was there.
"The attitude of the white warders towards them is one of contempt, vengeance and persecution, and goes beyond the purpose of imprisonment as understood the world over. There is no redress against the atrocities committed against them by the warders or other prisoners at the instigation and with the connivance of warders....
"Nelson Komane is a boy of sixteen years of age from Pretoria. He was viciously assualted by a prisoner called Bill when he refused to take part in an immoral sodomy act ...This matter was reported to Chiet Warden Theron. Billy made counter charges with the result that Nelson was sentenced to sixteen days in solitary confinement, while Billy went off scot free. It is common practice for the young convicted boys of PAC to be forcibly locked into cells with hardened criminals and forced to commit sodomy. They can be heard crying out and calling in the night, and the warders ignore the calls. Anyone else who intervenes or takes the matter up with the prison authorities is severely punished....
"Maqubela was made to stand upright in a deep hold which was then filled with soil up to his neck, with only the head appearing about the ground. Then a white warder urinated above his head and face....
"Solomon Petla a boy of sixteen years of age forced to commit sodomy and held down while he was being criminally assaulted through his anus. As a result his rectum protruded outwards, and for over three months he was unable to walk well. He lodged a complaint with one Lieutenant Pretorious, who answered that his testes should be pulled out. In addition to getting no redress for the atrocity, Petla received no medical treatment whatsoever and his assilants continued their bestial acts upon him.
"David Feni was shot prior to his commitment to Robben Island and retains a bullet in his body. It is said that the doctor who treated him in hospital maintained that removal of the bullet would be fatal. Despite this, Feni has been allocated to do the most heavy manual labour... breaking heavy stones and boring rocks with machine...."(4)
Allegations of torture and assault have been made by leaders of the Black Consciousness Movement, several of whom are presently facing charges under the so-called Terrorism Act after their arrest and detention in
"Consequently, Mr Chetty drew up an affidavit and with five supporting affidavits from friends and relatives of the detainees sought an emergency interdict against the Minister of Police and the Commissioner of the South African Police, restraining them from assaulting interrogating in any manner other than prescribed by law, employing any undue or unlawful pressure and applying any form of unlawful duress on the detainees. In addition, he requested that someone entitled interms of sub-section 6 or 7 of Section 6 of the Terrorism Act (Act 83 of
"The application for relief for the five detainees failed in every respect in the Supreme Court in Pretoria on the
"The point to consider is this: that Mr Tengrove, the judge, could not produce evidence from the detainees themselves in support of their case. The sole evidence in support of allegations of assault came from Mr S. Chetty alone.
"Mr Justice Tengrove stated that even if the court "had the power to require the Magistrate to take a statement, affidavit or evidence on commission from a detainee, the magistrate would not be entitled under Section 66 to disclose this through the court."
"The Terrorism Act specifically states that no court of law may pronounce upon the validity of any detention or interrogation. Prisoners are at the sole mercy of the police and the Minister of Police.
"Further, to note, too, is that the failure of the application does not erase the possibility of assault. Ignored totally too are the effects due to prolonged detention in solitary confinement coupled with heavy interrogation. While detainees may not how any overt physical signs of injury (which is what the court is more interested in when pronouncing on whether detainees are being ill-treated) there are less overt psycho-emotional effects due to such detention."
Despite vigorous denials by the fascist regime torture and brutality are realities of detention and interrogation in South Africa. The Police State apparatus that has been set up over the years creates a climate ideal for such malpractices, and even to their sophistication. It is against this background that talks of changes in South Africa should be viewed; nothing short of the complete destruction of the present system can ensure the elimination of these evils.
Satirist Fred Dagg has called New Zealand's foreign policy "crazy", a mish-mash of attitudes towards Chinese, Russians, Asians, Zulus and Yanks. The Muldoon-Talboys backward leaps in foreign policy have left the Ministry of Foreign Affairs straggling in their wake with requests for information and have become harbingers for even more dramatic change in the future - change that could affect us more directly.
The National Party manifesto in the last elections gave little away on foreign policy.
For South East Asia the National Party promised to:-
"Maintain our close political ties with South East Asian countries and to develop our links with the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean)."
Brian Talboys, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, went on a visit to the states of Asean to maintain those ties. In the Philipines he was impressed with the clean up that marshal law had brought to that country. There was "much to be said", for centralised authority, he said.
As the political pilots of the ruling cliques in South East Asia had been closer to the action in Indo China, their understanding of the situation and their necessity to deal with it was greater than the naivity of Talboys.
Recently the Thai government has cast out all but residual United States forces. This action was based on the tried and proven historical fact that those whom the gods wish to destroy they first send American aid. The former Thai Foreign Minister was attempting to foster relations with Cambodia at the same time as the Thai government was blaming the Vietnamese for causing border clashes with Laos. The obvious intention was to divide Vict Nam and Cambodia.
The New Zealand government, despite itself, had better come to terms with these complexities. Smiling at the Chinese and threatening the Russians is not enough.
For Malaysia in particular, these complexities mean a number of important changes. With the drying up of American capital and already a capacity to absorb as much capital from Japanese sources as they can provide the Malaysian government is now receiving capital from the Soviet Union via such countries as Poland and Czechoslovakia. A few years ago this practice would have been unthinkable as the "thin edge of the communist wedge".
Along with the posture of "coming to terms with communism" is the growing anxiety by the rulers of Malaysia to be self sufficient from foreign assistance; be it military, political, economic or technical. For Viet Nam the process was called "Vietnamisation". The process is enormously risky for it leaves an elite that has the privilege and power in a position very vunerable to the rest of the population in the short term. There are no GIs patrolling the streets anymore.
As a vital part of Malaysianisation (Not Malayanisation) there is required a foreign trained bureaucratic group who will faithfully administer the country along the right lines. The place of the Malaysian student is to learn the appropriate skills and to develop the correct political standpoint.
If something goes wrong with this training the group becomes a potentially volatile and dangerous one. Already the Malaysian students in this country are mostly of Chinese origin while the ruling power in Malaysia is Malay. The United Malay National Organisation (UMNO) and the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) are rapidly compromising the minimal differences remaining between them while trying to ensure that peasant, student and worker unrest is still directed along racial directions.
Razak's tour of New Zealand late last year noticably alarmed the authorities in Kuala Lumpur. What was intended to be a low key visit concentrating on trade and Asean turned into a harrassed Razak scurrying from one demonstration to another. Perhaps most alarming to him were the calls made by the Malaysian student organisations such as the Wellington Malaysian Students' Association who thouroghly condemned the present repressive acts of the Malaysian government.
The clamour coming out of Kuala Lumpur was not surprisingly loud and long. There had been covert and clandestine surveillance of students over here in the past by the Malaysian High Commission but the more reactionary elements in the ruling Barisan National wanted a tighter control over the students before they left and a guarantee from their parents that their offspring would behave. To back this up there was to be a formal extension of Malaysian security laws to cover students in this country.
Just as the New Zealand government had been outdistanced by the Asean governments who no longer denounced the "international communist conspiracy", the New Zealand government is well aware that the New Zealand public will greet the Kuala Lumpur proposals with very little enthusiasm.
The result has been that, even though eight months have elapsed since the first intentions were heard in Kuala Lumpur of changing the laws, the only public statement that has been made by Talboys on this has concerned the use of New Zealand as an "aircraft carrier" from which Malaysian pseudo-students will launch attacks on Malaysia. From Kuala Lumpur itself the conversations between Talboys and the Foreign Minister Rithaudeen brought forth the information that the legislation would only be used "sparingly".
Talboys wrote to NZUSA on the 10 May :-
"With regard to.... the new Malaysian security legislation I was assured by the Malaysian government during the course of my visit to Kuala Lumpur that this law was neither intended to nor would it affect those Malaysian students in New Zealand who took part in the sort of political activity that is normal in our students circles."
It is easy to understand the Malaysian authorities making such glib assurances to Talboys and Talboys passing on the same story. But students need no reminding of the charges brought agianst Khoo Ee Liam in
The entire gamut of what constitutes "normal" political activity in New Zealand is completely different and often abnormal, or even proscribed by legislation, in Malaysia. The
The U&UC Act has powers which extend overseas. The constitution also has provisions to cover Malaysians abroad. The Extra-territorial Offences Act
The timing of the Act at the end of Razak's demonstration during his Australasian tour and the failure of any other reasons (fabricated or otherwise) to justify it at that time (such as a spate of aircraft hijackings by expatriate Malaysians or similar events) make it quite clear that the legislation was created to frighten and persecute Malaysian students overseas.
With the passing of this legislation there will be required an intensification of the surveillance programme in New Zealand. If Malaysian citizens are to be prosecuted under its provisions then it is only fair that evidence be given against them. The evidence needs to be provided by agents of the Malaysian High Commission in Wellington. If such agents don't exist then they must be replaced by New Zealand SIS operatives or else there will be no evidence against them at all, except hearsay and rumours. Even the "normality" Talboys-Rithaudeen criteria must be policed to ensure that it is not exceeded.
The "Far Eastern Economic Review" (
"Police informers are given rewards for information and some of those informers are people of questionable character. "Informers" will not hesitate in order to get a handsome reward to give false information against innocent people."
The Extra-territorial Offences Act under (2 (1) (b)) applies itself to:- "Any offence under any..... written law the commission of which is certified by the Attorney General to affect the security of the Federation."
Besides the control and surveillance of students in New Zealand the number of students overall will certainly be reduced. Various statements made by Rowling and Razak during the latter's visit here last October indicated very strongly that the number of students from Malaysia would be reduced, though there was no indication of by how much. Talboys talked of "limits" in Kuala Lumpur and wrote to NZUSA:-
'The question of the numbers of overseas students entering New Zealand's universities is currently under consideration by the New Zealand Government. One major aim of offering places in our educational institutions to overseas students is to provide an indirect form of aid to developing countries. The Government is concerned to achieve a better balance between the developing countries in the number of students currently entering our universities. Since the overwhelming majority of overseas students in New Zealand universities are from Malaysia, it is clear that the present review will most affect the number of students from that country. I took the opportunity of my visit to Kuala Lumpur in March to discuss this question with the Malaysian Government, and to explain the need for some type of control. I should also mention that while it is the Government's intention to restrict the proportion of students entering New Zealand from any single country, the number of countries from which we will accept private overseas students is being increased. This will extend the range of experience of New Zealand students, as well as further enrich the educational, social and cultural life of our universities."
This position may sound fine in principle but must be put in the context of four important considerations. The first obvious one is timing. There had not been concern expressed about the number of Malaysians coming to New Zealand until they collectively began to criticise their home government.
Secondly, the situation in Malaysia of monitoring and registering students and their parents is an easier task to accomplish if their numbers are smaller. Also the process will certainly be selective to those the authorities hope are more likely to behave.
Thirdly, the manner in which these cuts are to be considered. A sub committee of the University Grants Committee was established by Act of Parliament to regulate the flow of overseas students to New Zealand and has been doing so every year since
"As usual, candidates from the developing countries of the South Pacific were given some priority for admission".
The fourth consideration is paramount in that it is difficult to imagine where the students to replace the Malaysians would come from. While the numbers of new entrants into the universities last year was roughly in the proportion of two Malaysians to every other category the competition from other sources was not strong.
The number of countries which were eligible to send students to New Zealand was extended by the government in
Of the students who qualified for entry last year 96 were not offered places. Of these 88 were Malaysians, thus leaving only 8 non-Malaysians who couldn't come. Of these five were Fijians whose applications were denied on the grounds that courses of a similar nature were offered at the University of the South Pacific at Suva. Of the remaining three, two were from Singapore which is usually bracketed with Malaysia in OSAC categories anyway. Thus the Talboys concern is on behalf of a great mass of students unable to come to New Zealand because of the Malaysians keeping them out This great mass, for the most recent year in which figures are available, numbers only one.
From our government's lack of response to the threat of the Extra-territorial legislation and the eagerness to cut back on Malaysian student numbers, it is obvious the Wellington and Kuala Lumpur governments are hand in glove. Which is which hardly matters.
One of the favourite tricks of a ruling group, is to use its enemies for its own purposes. A example appeared in the 'Dom' (Sat. 26 June) recently - applicable particularly to Vic students.
It seems that Hansells (NZ) Ltd, and the Vice-chancellor of Vic think it is a fine thing for an ex-student and a famous "writer and poet" (among other things) to be hung on the wall of this establishment - not only to beautify the insides of its ugly buildings, but also remind everyone that stops and examines it, that he was a great man - a man worth remembering.
It causes me great anguish to see these two clowns smiling away, pouring over Baxters portrait. They have at last immobilised this image - but also what he said when he was alive.
That these men should have the sheer audacity to use this man's picture to nulify the message that he tried to give to New Zealanders. These are the people that Baxter spoke out against, through his poetry, plays and the living of his own life.
If these two men really took Baxter seriously then we would expect them to significantly change their own lives, and abandon the positions in which they cause oppression and suffering to many New Zealanders. But no - of course they don't! Instead, they enjoy the wealth and influence that their positions bring them Worse than that - they attempt to pay Lip service and fayn admiration to a man who critised them and identified himself with the poor, the suffering and the humble. What irony - the very thing Baxter wrote and highlighted in his writings.
And what would Hemi think of being hailed to the wall of the establishment that symbolises the rot and contradiction of our society - I daren't think. All I hope is that on viewing him on the wall - people will be moved to read and learn what he was trying to tell us.
Are you paying a legal rent for your flat? Below is a list of some Rent Appeal Board decisions which expire within the next three months. It is an offence for any landlord to raise the rent of a property within twelve months of a Rent Appeal Board decision. If you live in one of these flats or know of someone living there, and the rent is above that laid down by the Board, get in touch with Tenant's Union. Drop into our office at 144 Willis Street (behind Resistance Bookshop) during the week or phone us at 842-606. Tenants have very few legal rights and the Labour Department has refused to publicise the Rent Appeal Act or any of the Rent Appeal Board's decisions. Any tenant can lodge a Rent Appeal. By law your landlord cannot evict you for doing so.
It is interesting to note that in a recent survey of the drinking habits of New Zealanders, more beer is drunk in the Southern part of the South Island than any of the other major areas (per Capita, of course).
Aucklanders tend to buy more Wines and Spirits; and to obtain a good proportion of their total requirements from outlets other than Hotels. Presumably, this includes Wine Shops. Wholesalers, Restaurants and Sly Groggers. The (more intelligent) people of Wellington are more likely to have consumed liquor, or some sort of alcohol, during each week and they also Dine out more frequently than Aucklander's either at Hotels or Licensed Restaurants, although it must be noted that Aucklanders dine at Licensed Restaurants, because of their greater number, more often than Hotels. The reverse situation is true of Wellington.....most will be aware of the recent case brought allowing customers to consume their own wine on the premises. No doubt this bloody ridiculous oversight on the part of the lawmakers (when ten O'clock closing was introduced) will be speedily rectified -as the law stands now, it is permissible to take your own wine to an unlicensed restaurant prior to six in the evening, but not permissible after the stroke of six!
Getting back to this survey of our drinking habits, the folk in Christchurch use Hotels both for on-premises drinking and for their take-home supplies. Actually this rather puzzles me, as some of their merchants, eg Malings and Fletcher Humphries have extremely comprehensive stocks from all corners of the world. The latter having, at present, supplies of relatively rare German Auslese's under $11 per bottle, which are being furiously purchased by wine buffs from the North.
In other parts of the South Island, i.e. outside Christchurch; people drink more in hotel bars than other kiwis and buy from hotel bottle stores to take home rather than merchants. They selfom buy wine, and eat out less than other New Zealanders... makes one wonder what they do!
A friend of mine, recently deported from the States, tells me that all the leading brands of Bourbon are lowering their proof to 80° so they can escape some of the sales tax and consequently be sold at lower prices. The actual reason for this action is somewhat obscure, but the possibility is that other spirits and Californian Wines, in particular, are starting to make inroads into the sacred sales territory of American Whiskey.
A few cases of Montana Bernkaizler Riesling
Not to be outdone, Lee's of Lower Hutt are offering to readers of this column; Stanley Chan's (not Charlie) Private Bin Burgundy and his sought after Totara Gold at the princely price of $1.55 per bottle.
Some year ago, the small holding of Mate Selak was 'acquired' by the powers governing our Motorways and poor old Mate had to start growing his vines again a little further down the road towards Kumeu. These relatively newly planted wines are now fruiting well and the wines produced from them are of above average quality - thank goodness The only moan is that their latest addition to the list is a Moselle style wine called Ben Kasel..... and they have continued with their oval shaped picture of Grandfather, and founder. Merino Selak. Bet the old boy would turn in his grave if he could see the new label which has the name displayed directly under his picture... Ben Kasel. Actually, the wine itself is a pleasant medium sweet white with great commercial possibilities. John Sigley, of cricketing fame has just joined Selaks as Marketing Manager, so lets hope we hear more of this smaller vineyard in the near future.
George Fistonich, of Villa Maria, is celebrating his recent purchase of Seppelt-Vidals by holding a series of barbecues (yes, in this weather!) in the main wine drinking areas of the Dominion. As George pours the wine so freely, few of the many hundreds attending felt anything, forgetting the cold.
A little bit of advice was given to me the other day regarding purchasing wines in restaurants. The advice is passed on to you to evaluate as you will.....Firstly consult your Palate, then your partner and then your purse! (this is known as watching your P's and Q'S). The only rider I would add to this is that it depends on your motives.
To cut the crap-talk short. I think reggae is the revolution, and Bob Marley is great. To most of the raggae fans Bob Marley is raggae.
Catch a Fire is a
The most popular tracks are "Stir it up" (Johnny Nash took it to No.1 - remember?) and "Baby we're got a date". Both written by Bob Marley himself, like the rest of the tracks, other than for "400 years" and "stop that train" by Peter Mackintosh the keyboards player. The introduction to all the tracks alone, I believe, is well worth the while you spend on listening to it. Especially "Concrete Jungle" and "Baby ve we've got a date". "Slave Driver" (from which the theme "Catch a Fire" is taken) is also another fantastic track.
Listen to the lyrics, listen to the beat, the rhythm, shit man these guys sure do know what they are doing.
Lots of people hold the false impression that reggae is a load of repitious off-beats. It's not man! (I guess its like saying all the classical music sounds the same). Once you get into it, and once you are familiar with the beat, you will notice how each track stands out on its own. There is the steady instrumentation and the constant repetition of the back beat coupled with the beautiful vocals of Bob Marley. "Catch a fire" are reggae songs at their best.
All you Eric Clapton fans who think that his version of the reggae guitar is good, should compare him to Bob Marley. Do you wanna guess who's influenced whom? What about Elton John's "Jamaica Jerk-off". Led Sep's "D'yer Ma'ker" If you like them, you gonna like Bob Marley and the Wailers even better.
It's no use me raving on about reggae but I think Bob Marley and the Wailers are incredible and you ought to seriously consider listening to their music. Once you get into it, you won't come out of it -believe me.
"Get Closer" is quite a nice album without much to offer in the way of imaginative music. After listening to it once I thought it was quite nice, after a second time I still thought it was nice, but also boring.
Now, I realise that Salient's reviews pages are always full of reviews of boring records, which go through records track by track telling you how nice, but also how boring each track is. I could do that too but I have decided to do something startlingly different in the field of record reviews. I'm not really sure what would be startling in this respect, so I think I'll sit back for a few minutes and think about what to write....
How can you think clearly if fifteen people (allowing for exaggeration) have just walked in talking loudly and going off to make cups of coffee? Quite simply, you can't so I am about to relate to you the conversation which follows:
"Oh, shit!" "What's up?" "Look!!"
She has just spilt a cup of coffe all over the front of her skirt and it is now dribbling down the side of her legs and collecting in a pool on the floor. The liquid gradually begins to disperse as it soaks into the carpet, leaving a brownish coloured stain.
"I'll get a rag" says one enterprising young man as he disappears into the kitchen while the sun slowly sinks below the hills, leaving its yellow, orange, red and purple tinges on the fluffy little cirro-cumulus clouds suspended above the horizon (See! I'll bet you never thought I knew a word like that, did you?).
Eventually he comes back into the room with the rag setting his mind to the task of mopping up the carpet. He soon turns his attention to the young woman who is still soaking wet. He gently places his hand on her knees and drifts up her skirt towards the milky-white flesh above the fish-net stockings she is wearing, and, when he has finally attained his goal, that place he had been longing for - he wipes up the coffee which is sitting there.
At this point the record finishes "Quite pleasant background music" I think to myself as I change the record to something a little more appealing. Get Closer is going to be a strong contender for the 2ZB Breakfast Show Stakes, so if you like that kind of thing, then by all means go and buy it - otherwise leave Seals and Crofts alone until they stop following their little commercial success formula, and produce something more imaginative.
(I think you could have done something more imaginative than a poor imitation of Henry Miller. I think we would all have preferred to know about the boring tracks instead of boring chauvinism -Typesetter)
Jean-Luc Ponty is the man who, for me, made Mahavishnu Orchestras "From the Emerald Beyond" such an exemplary contemporary record The violinists stay with the Orchestra was a short and stormy one; he once commented to New Musical Express that the thing he disliked about John McLaughlin and his orchestra was that everything and to be played at such a pace as to make a cheetah seem slow!
So it comes as no surprise that on this, his second solo effort, there is an infusion, of quiet and serene music, (much like "Pastoral" from "The Emerald Beyond") and much quicker up tempo music.
Ponty was born in
The problem of playing in a jazz group with a violin has been overcome by utilizing electric amplification. The result of his classical training fused together with electric jazz is to perform some of the most joyful music.
Around him, Ponty has a band of considerable talent; Parryl Stuermer is an accomplished guitarist, Patrice Rushen, the new keyboardist, finds plenty of room and versatility within the framework of Ponty's music. Tom Fowler (bass) and Norman Fearrington from the nucleus of a most flexible rhythmn section.
The many varying talents of Ponty and his backers are best displayed by contrasting the first two tracks of this record, "Is Once Enough" and "Renaissance"; "Is Once Enough" starts a cracking pace that features a particularly fine solo from Stuermer with Ponty's violin offering many differing high and low points; the contrast being sharp while the music continues at a blazing pace.
"Renaissance" on the other hand is serene and peaceful relying heavily on Ms Rushens electric piano to underpin it. Ponty's violin is quiet and complements beautifully the tender acoustic playing of Darryl Stuermer. Here the acoustic guitar is strummed and picked quickly and yet it fits in with the very happy feel which the piece radiates. This is a piece of ensemble playing that is so tight in its unity yet so fluid in that it allows perfectly for the solo.
"Aurora - Part 1" sees a return to the wailing plaintive violin, perfectly controlled, that made Ponty such a vital musician on Mahavishnus "Emerald Beyond"; his playing here is not just a return to that style, but an improvement on it; the never ending search for perfection it you wish.
Yet to me, much of this music has a familiar ring to it, "Passenger of the Dark", which opens side two, has a definite Mahavishnu Orchestra feel. It's as definite as the rising sun. So it seems that even though Jean-Luc Ponty and John McLaughlins personalities weren't exactly compatible, that two are of such stature, that a little bit of each other couldn't help but have rubbed off on both.
Yet at the same time Ponty has also stuck to his guns and written some more melodically quieter numbers. "Lost Forest" in particular is in this mould; it is an almost intense number and yet, through Patrice Rushens keybaords in particular, a warm feeling is radiated.
"Between you and me" is more into the realms of contemporary Jazz/Rock and the room it offers for improvisation is vast. Once again Ponty uses his imaginative violin work to evoke various feelings through both fast and quiet bow work. "Waking Dream" brings Aurora to a close in a most serene manner.
There are some intriuging points to "Aurora". There is definitely a strong Mahavishnu feel, and one gets the clear impression that Jean-Luc Ponty went through many changes during his stay with John McLaughlin. But I don't think that is at all bad. In fact, if you're in for listening changes may I suggest "Aurora"? Just put up your feet, boil some coffee, relax and listen ....
Jean Luc Ponty performs tonight in the Town Hall with the musicians used in "Aurora". This should be a spectacular and unique opportunity to see the world's best rock violinist.
Public $7 Students $6 Book at DIC and maybe door sales.
Golden Earring originally came in on the first wave of Dutch rock to hit the English-speaking market along with Focus, Exception and others. In the past they have used material by other people e.g. their extended version of "Eight Miles High" which was originally written and performed by The Birds.
After hearing 'To the Hilt" I'd say there's tons of inherent interest in the group which does not always get a free run. Right now they're like a bowl of too many ingredients, and in the scramble to be heard it is the "boss" people like Barry Hay, the drummer, and the organist, who are hogging the limelight. Yet when Bongers and Kalf are given a fair go they lend a track of beautiful, solf, tone that threads itself acceptably into the basic rock of drums, guitar, and vocal moaning. Nowhere is this clearer than in 'Sleepwalkin' which is about a fella who falls in love and the old world gets very unwieldly for him: the track starts with a cheeky, bouncey, combination of guitar and drums; the lyrics are humourously sarcastic, e.g.
and the track goes out on some easy-listening sax backed by trumpet. This is the best track, and is a fine example of what can happen when they use all their muscles.
The other side-two tracks "Latin Lightnin" and "Violins" also try something new. "Latin Lightnin" bounds off to a racy start, then stops dead, and a throaty whisper says......
...then the track races on again. However, these experiments tend to be rare, and the group invariably outplays its lyrics either by limiting the vocals to mere patches, playing so loud you can't hear the words, or singing in an almost identicle key to the backing so that you can hardly tell which is which.
Why does a $7.50 album hardly ever entail a copy of the words? This is a pity because occasionally you catch something interesting, as in "Violins" where a street music man receives "the smiles of people passing" who write about him in the paper
Side One illustrates the emotional monotony of the group, especially in the lyrics department. All the lyrics announce a cheesed-off, betrayed, cynical, attitude to life, maybe because the lyric writing is in the hands of Barry Hay whose girlfriend burnt down his house last year. "Why Me?" speaks of rejection, and a person who crashes their car into the end of a street "to find out what's behind that wall". The sardonic "Facedancer" orders the listener......
......which could be told to the group itself. But there is often a touch of humour though morbid humour e.g. on the track "To the Hilt"
However, even when the words are depressive, the actual music is often off on a track of its own, with an urgent invigorating quality peculiar to itself, It's good, easy-going music, just great when you're with yourself in the corner one night, and the smile of Buddha on your face.
Canada 1974 N.Z. Premiere Chosen for the Locarno Film Festival, 1974, and Paris Film Festival, 1975
A club-owner, his daughter, and a topless dancer are three of the characters in this French-Canadian drama by Andre Forcier. "A finely-controlled, low-key film."- New York Times.
Switzerland, 1973. N.Z. Premiere Special July Prize, Cannes Film Festival 1973. Chosen for the Locarno, San Francisco Film Festivals.
An engaging comedy about the staff of a Geneva insurance office and how their true natures are revealed at a Sunday-afternoon house-warming party. "Extremely funny." New York Times. "A quiet masterpiece." Judith Crist. Directed by Claude Goretta.
U.S.A. 1973 N.Z. Premiere Chosen for the Cannes, London, Edinburgh and Berlin Film Festivals, 1974
"Every government is run by liars. Nothing they say should be believed." This is the credo of the editor-publisher-mail boy of a famous Washington newsletter. And this exhilarating film is his story, filmed by Jerry Bruck Jnr. "Such a thorough delight, it left me feeling high. Don't miss it." : New York Times. "Brilliant, witty, hard-hitting a contemporary classic." Film Comment.
West Germany/Yugoslavia 1971 N.Z. Premiere Cannes, Berlin, London Film Festivals, 1971. Sydney, Melbourne Film Festivals, 1972.
The wittiest and most cynical film by Dusan Makavejev. A documentary on the late Wihelm Reich is the starting point for wry comparison of socialism and capitalism and a fictional story of two girls seeking political and sexual liberation. "The film is indeed liable to offend, confound or confuse a good many people, who should not, however, deny themselves the experience of seeing it." - Jay Cocks in Time Magazine Note after being banned by the N Z. censor, this film has been passed on appeal with an R.20 certificate allowing it to be shown only once at the Film Festival. No one under 20 will be admitted.
Czechoslovakia 1974 Wellington Premiere Chosen for the London and Karlovy Vary Film Festivals 1974
A delicate and humorous film by the Czech master Jaromil Fires, who brought us "My Love to the Swallows." His three linked stories about people involved in building the new Prague underground are told with warmth and charm.
U.S.S.R. 1974 N.Z. Premiere
Chosen for the London, Moscow, Melbourne and Sydney Film Festivals 1975
A fresh and fanciful tale of a 19th century peasant boy who goes to the city to seek his fortune, falls in love with a red-head, and then falls foul of her governor lover. He escapes from prison in a fantastic flying machine (as "Variety" put it "straight out of Da Vinci by way of Ronald Searle.") Director Eldar Shengelaya
Belgium/Tunisia 1975 N.Z. Premiere Grand Prix at Locarno Film Festival, 1975
Pierre Clementi stars in this hallucinatory film by Jean-Jacques Andrien with music by Monteverdi as a young man who goes to a dead friend's Tunisian villiage on a voyage of self discovery. "A splendidly-photographed image of two cultures." -Dilys Powell.
Hungary 1975 N.Z. Premiere Chosen for the Cannes, Chicago, Sydney Film Festivals 1975
In his newest film, Miklos Jansco re-tells the Electra legend in "musical-tragedy" style featuring hundreds of naked men and women in Busby Berkeley formations with a red helicopter hovering. "A bold and exciting work of art faultlessly executed." -David Stratton. "Dazzling.... beautiful." -Sight and Sound.
France/Italy 1974 Wellington Premiere Chosen for the Sydney Film Festival, 1975
The prolific Claude Chabrol contributes two new features to this year's
Film Festival. This one is a cynical look at a political kidnapping and the way it's handled by the authorities. "A disturbing study of violence on both sides of the law." - David Stratton.
France/Italy 1974 N.Z. Premiere Chosen for the London and Venice Film Festivals, 1975
Scriptwriter Paul Gegeuff stars in this unique film which he based on the breakup of his own marriage. His former wife is the other main performer. Claude Chabrol has made a gripping film described by The Times as an elegant account of "the terror of a couple watching themselves drifting apart."
U.S.A. 1975 N.Z. Premiere Chosen for the 1975 London Film Festival.
An extraordinary new documentary by Frederick Wiseman about going on the dole in New York. It's a disturbing study of bureaucracy versus humanity. "Poignant, sometimes morbidly funny." - Newsweek. "Whole lives seem to live themselves out before our eyes....." - New York Times.
U.S.A. 1975 Wellington Premiere Festival Choice: Recommended by the censor as particularly suitable for family entertainment.
Ingrid Bergman stars with two likeable children in this new film by veteran Fielder Cook from the award-winning children's story 'The Mixed-up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler." The two kids run away to New York, where they hide in the Metropolitan Museum and discover a mystery. Mrs Frankweiler is a rich old recluse who comes to share their secret. "Fresh and enjoyable.." - Monthly Film Bulletin.
France/Italy 1974 Wellington Premiere Chosen for the Cannes, London, New York Film Festivals, 1974.
The first film in five years from Alain Resnais stars Jean-Paul Belmondo and Charles Boyer, with music by Stephen Sondheim. His subject is the downfall of a grandiose swindler, and the last days of frivolity before the Second World War. Sight and Sound called it a "Mariebad of daylight.... a sort of 'Citizen Kane' investigation of the early 30s millieu of political scandal and prejudice."
West Germany/Switzerland 1973
N.Z. Premiere Chosen for the London, Chicago, Sorrento Film Festivals, 1973. Sydney, Melbourne Film Festivals, 1974. Winner of Golden Globe of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association: Best Foreign Film. German Federal Film A ward: Best Film of 1973.
A controversial drama written and directed by Maximilian Schell about a German industrialist accused by a newspaper of being in charge of a Nazi execution squad. Outstanding photography is matched by an unusual cast including Peter Hall, Peggy Ashcroft, Lil Dagover and Francoise Rosay.
Switzerland 1974 Wellington Premiere Chosen for the Rotterdam, Antwerp, Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, London and Edinburgh Film Festivals 1975.
A factual drama about a young Jewish medical student in the
Germany 1975 Wellington Premiere Chosen for the London, Edinburgh, Berlin Sydney Film Festivals 1975.
A contemporary journey along the Rhine is the setting for this free adaption of a Goethe novel. "Filled with many disturbing probing and deftly executed sequences. One of this year's most acclaimed and awarded films." - Variety. Director: Wim Wenders.
West Germany 1974 Wellington Premiere International Critics' Prize, and Ecumenical Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival 1974. New York Film Festival 1974.
A 60-year-old widow falls in love with a young Moroccan emigrant labourer, and together they suffer the slings and arrows of the outraged neighbours. A controversial new film by Rainer Werner Fassbinder hailed by Jan Dawson as "the Cannes Festival's best film" David Robinson in The Times wrote: "It is consistently intelligent and entertaining." The London Daily Telegraph said: "Very provocative. Wonderfully well acted."
Jamaica 1973 N.Z. Premiere
This film by Perry Henzell was described by Time: "Fast, tough and sinuous with a score of Jamaican reggae that jauntily accentuates its vigour; this saga of a small-time pot pusher and pop star is a kind of Caribbean 'Threepenny Opera."' And U.S. Nation said: "Deeply appealing.. also a disturbing study of a post-colonial society in ruins."
U.S.A. 1975 N.Z. Premiere Chosen for the Critics' Week, Cannes 1975
A gently ironic tale of Jewish immigrants in New York in the Joan Micklin Silver. "An unconditionally happy achievement.....The cast is superlative and Carol Kane is extraordinary." -New York Times. "Hester Street's abundant humour, sex appeal and simple humanity are universal." - Playboy. "A beautifully detailed film of charm and subjstance. A page from the album of our past. " - Judith Crist.
Switzerland 1974 Wellington Premiere Chosen for the Locarno, New York and London Film Festivals 1974; Sydney and Melbourne Film Festivals 1975.
Director Alain (La Salamander) Tanner's films have always been on the cutting edge between social problems and sexual ones. This new film - his first in colour - is no exception. An extra-marital affair between an engineer and an emigrant waitress (a stunning performance by Olimpia Carlisi) founders because physical obsessions are powerless against social differences. "Coolly intelligent and subtle." - Time Magazine. "One of the best films about the nature of passionate love." -New Yorker.
This film is about the trials and triumphs of a bright young Harvard Law School student named Hart. His hero is Professor Kingsfield, a brilliant, irascible old professor of contract law, marvellously well-played by John H Houseman. Kingsfield, using the Socratic method of teaching, pushes, bullies and ridicules his students, with the aim of turning them into first-class lawyers. Hart is at first intimidated, and then challenged, propelled by an interest in learning, rather than in the material rewards that may follow. He has an affair with a pretty, independent girl who turns out to be Kings field's daughter.
Portrayed is the conformism of the Law School, the pressures of the Socratic system, and a mild rebellion. A must for any student doing Contracts or Torts.
Starring: Timothy Bottoms, Lindsay Wagner, John Houseman.
Director: James Bridges.
I personally recommend this film to anyone who has done law, is doing law, is thinking of doing law, or has been done by law! - Ed.
An adaptation of Thomas Berger's hilariously picaresque reconstruction of the Old West seen through the eyes of the 111 year old narrator, Jack Crabb. He fell into the hands of the Cheyenne as a child, was brought up as the Indian Brave "Little Big Man" by the wise Old Lodge Skins, and sub-sequently spent his life drifting around the West, mediating between the oppressed Indians and the intruding Pale Faces, associating with legendary figures likd Wild Bill Hickok, and being present at numerous historical battles.
Penn captures the mood of the vulnerable alien culture of the Indian, with its humane sympathy for individuals, and contrasts it with white society which he presents largely in terms of caricature life in so-called civilisation is disordered, hypocritical, self-seeking, nihilistic.
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Faye Dunaway, Chief Dan George.
Director: Arthur Penn.
An immensely enjoyable movie, filmed documentary fashion, with an audience roaring throughout.
"Watching Mick Jagger is just as ex-hilerating as ever. While the sequins in his crow's feet change from mauve to black, and the sweat glistens in his decolletage, his hands clutch his waist and hips possessively, and his body s seems to throb even harder than it used to (it s impossible not to view him as a sex object, the choice is his, not ours)".
New York Times.
Jagger shows himself independent of any period, with a powerful impact.
This film is consciously clicheic, and that is all there really is to it.
It has all the classic corny elements -America in the year 2000 under a repressive dictatorship with a "Big brother" type Mr President, a flag that looks remarkably Russian, and a well drilled underground movement that possesses among other things a television station.
The 'plot' centres round a cross-America road race in which points are scored for knocking down pedestrians; there are five stereotyped competitors ranging from the husky male to the All American sexpot. The 'hero' is a new version of the six-million-dollar-man, Mr Frankenstein, who is worshipped by millions of mindless Americans and has him own groupies. The underground intend to sabotage the race and capture Mr Frankenstein in order to have the race symbol of the violence of the system abolished forever.
So given all this, you sit in the theatre, wondering who is taking who for a ride. Obviously the film is not serious - its utter triteness outrules any possibility of this, but then what is it trying to say? All you are left with is a feeling of artificiality that is less realistic than Mr Frankenstein's metal hand.
But, there are several ironic twists to the plot. Mr Frankenstein ends up becoming President and proclaiming a new era of freedom for America but the final gesture in the film (when he runs over an irksome reporter) is violent and the credits fade out on a description of violence throughout the ages. And all this seems to say is that violence is inevitable. Which is very pat and self-indulgent.
In summary this film has nothing at all to recommend it, unless you want to see the plasticity of science fiction taken to its painful extremes And I don't suggest you subject yourself to that.
Having read the book in the 4th form I was somewhat reluctant at first to indulge in a classic of this sort. But I was soon enticed and entrenched by the beauty of Dickens's writing and the reminder of an age that is very m much our heritage, however loath we are to admit it.
Misery, sadness and irony constantly feature in the things Dickens saw when he wrote of English society in the mid-19th century. A time of rapid change from a feudal eopch to an urban capitalist society.
Instead of praising and worshiping this new development as did many of his liberal contemporaries - Dicken's chose to highlight the misfortune, suffering and contradiction in the new society His observations will be relevant to us as long as capitalism survives.
For all this, "Great Expectations" comically illustrates the feature which is the lynch-pin of our society - the fetish of self advancement and success. Dickens skillfully shows the irony and futility in this idea. Go to his film and laugh at yourself - for we all have Great Expectations.
The film contains many famous actors and is well done, never dragging -always appealing. It's about the first 'G' certificate film I've been to since I turned 16 (tee hee - before that actually), and I found it rewarding to anyone game enough to risk walking without being spotted by "sophisticated" friends. You may also wish to cry - if you still can.
Interviews are very Informal although lobe are there and are offered to suitable graduates. Vacancies are available for graduates or near graduates in a wide range Of subjects. A few organizations offer study leave, some for special postgraduate qualifications. The employers are happy to see first and second year students also.
Please Ring Dianne Baker 728 150, for an Appointment with an Employer.
The week before last, two letters were printed criticising MSA. Above each letter emotive captions such as "MSA in the Shit" conveyed Salient's continued resentment of M.S.A.
Criticism of any organisation is healthy and should be encouraged but recent criticism of M.S.A. is being made without any constructive alternatives being suggested.
M.S.A. held a sports tournament in the Gym over Easter. It was free to members even though the hire of the Gym was expensive. Did those students who negatively criticise M.S.A. participate? Obviously not. No doubt they were busy writing letters to Salient complaining about M.S.A.
Three years ago M.S.A. had a restricted membership and was not affiliated to V.U. S.A. Pressure was brought to encourage it to affiliate.
Subsequent to affiliation M.S.A. has been continually harrassed by student leaders living in the middle ages with middle minded ideas.
While M.S.A. has been subject to attack, M.S.S.A. has been allowed to fade into obscurity without even an eulogy in Salient.
Salient's inability to define M.S.A. places Salient a decade behind the rest of the student community.
Salient has not defined M.S.A., it is merely reflecting the comments of the many letters we receive criticising its leadership - a leadership which is very good at organising sports tournaments, but terrified at organising forums or educational discussion evenings. We cannot stop the dissatisfaction - we can merely reflect it - Ed.
I am writing to say that I wholly agree with the activities of that wonderful group of enlightened NZ'ers known as Hart.
As a rather degenerate Kiwi myself I too can see the need for a scapegoat on which we (the degenerates) can pass moral judgement to appease our often troublesome consciences. What I'm trying to say is that even though we (the average hypocritical Kiwi, or Hart member) can see racism in such countries as U.S.S.R. (ask a Jew with relatives there), U.S.A. (would you be black, red-Indian or Mexican there?), closer to home, Australia, many other countries and even our own wonderful society, it would be troublesome to actively oppose all the countries practising racism, so we should single out one such country, and on it unleash the wrath of our divine purge.
Our choice (mine and Hart's) is of course South Africa.
Reasons: Our fight is one against racial oppression. Now, we have this in our country along with others, but Hart's principles solve the problem nicely: "Don't dean out your own house, but see only what you want to see, and tell others how to clean out theirs" This single minded effort against S.A. may with luck divert our attention from closer, more urgent racism. "But the blacks in S.A. are terribly oppressed and deprived", say all us goons. Taking into account indisputable figures stating the black S.African standard of living as the highest of any African blacks, we strike where racism hurts most; we've got our priorities right!!!
2) We have the backing of some of the world's leading moralistic countries and their representatives, an example supreme being our fighter for equality, Idi Amin (known as "The Asian Lover") Yes with a man of his calibre our cause must surely be of divine inspiration
Yes, I thank Hart for providing my friends and me with a psychological crutch on which we can depend for support. "Feel pangs of conscience?" Take it out on S.A. You'll feel so much better.
I have just one question for onr pious kiwis: "What happens when the blacks in S.A. obtain their rule and the righteous kiwi will have to find some new diversion from his and others' inequality? What will we do?"
We may get so carried away looking for a new cause, that we forget to overlook what we don't want to see, and end up seeing a world full of oppression. Who would we use then, when we see we are all as bad as each other? Have no fears Kiwis; you are well protected. I'm sure our friends in Hart will have the foresight to not see everything (they're like that) and we can continue on our enlightened path,
p.s. I am interested in seeing what biased title you give my letter.
p.p.s. I also hope you do not use any printing or grammatical errors in my letter, as a point to pick me up on, as you so often do, when all else fails.
D. Heath's last letter confirmed my suspicion that he is either a masochist or a fool. I would like to gently bring to people's attention some of the more glaring fuck-ups in his misguided and slightly smelly anti-Hart snipe of two weeks ago.
I wish to emphasise to SP Mark that I used the parallel of working class New Zealanders and South African Blacks to show that both were in a similar position. Namely, that they are used, or rather their labour is used, to support a small elite who, because of their position vis-a-vis the means of production, dominate all spheres of our lives.
This is exemplified beautifully in the case of of the South African tour. You state that "the majority of the working class supports the All Black tour". If this is correct, and I have severe doubts to whether it is, then we must ask why this is. It may be simply that they like their rugby, but I feel the reason is deeper than this.
The National Party always make a big show of the proverbial classless society. In order to convince people of this, they constantly play to the notion of the general will. In other words, they use mechanisms like-baiting "commy stirrers in the unions" to make people think that New Zealanders are all the same eg "we must all take a cut in living standards" "we must all work harder to get out of this economic mess" etc. What they are in fact trying to do is to prevent working class consciousness which is the wont enemy of a capitalist economy.
These techniques have worked reasonably well up to now. New Zealand workers have not been able to identify themselves with the proletariat of other countries. If they had been, the All Black tour would never have taken place.
- Salient Worker
p.s. Come up to the Salient office and we can bash these issues out, p.p s. I do not support the Labour Party. In fact they pose a greater threat to the class consciousness of the workers.
I was sitting in the cafe on the first Monday morning of study break at 9.45am sipping my cup of coffee and reading a pamphlet outlining the present bursary situation regarding the increase in the cost of Irving increase. One of these pamphlets had been placed on every table in the cafe.
All of a sudden I noticed one of the cleaners pushing around his trolley and screwing up each notice in turn (except for the dozen or so which were being read), and placing it in his rubbish tin. At this ungodly hour in the morning not many people had had an opportunity to read them.
The point I am making is, that with everybody kicking up a rumpus saying "We haven't got enough money!" why the hell do we spend so much time and money in printing and delivering them just to keep the cleaner busy and to give the refuse-collectors something to take away.
Balls! - Ban All Lucrative Lazy Students". No, seriously folks, we love you, but there really isn't any need to request More money from open handed Muldoon and his merry men. Our stereos, M'bikes and second cars seem to be Ok even the rent is paid and the cat is gettin fat. (Bloody thing ate my chihauhua) Let us live on our grey matter (mince?) and leave inflation to float around 500 feet above S.L. without doing our bit to worsen it. After all it's hardly fair to invest against inflation, and then join the Kiwi Dawn Chorus in demanding more money.
Yeah well!
Felicity Sryth,
Sandra Parrs
Robyn Barlow
At the SRC meeting held on the 16th, a motion was forwarded and passed that the Exec allocate $50 to the Women's Choice Club. I object to the use of our money in this way.
The $30.50 that I paid as my Students Association fee, I was told would go to the maintenance of student services; gym, cultural groups. Exec fees etc. I fail to see how a donation to the Woman's Choice Club can be considered as aiding a student service
The Woman's Choice Club do not stage plays, field a rugby team or engage in specific and practical work around the Varisty for students. Neigher is the Women's Choice Club a charity which engages directly in offering social aid to starving, handicapped and pregnant women. Women's Choice Club members may consider that their work is an act of charity, but a substantial minority of students do not see the Women's Choice Club that way
So why not give the $50 to the IHC. No one will be able to object to that, and that way we won't see our money turned into worthless dart paper.
p.s. I do not object to the Woman's Choice Club holding out their hats around the Varsity, to raise $50
We are educ III students and are getting a little sick of the irrelevant material Jack Shallcrass lectures on. Many students feel like us that if perhaps he concentrated on the subjects we are being examined on, instead of subjects that He is interested in we would achieve better results. We would like him to come off his big ego trip and settle down to the subject in hand - education, not his particular brand of bullshit!
The apathy that exists in Geography 101 is unbelievable I salute and admire Garth Baker for his bravery in stating how things are - a disorganised mess that students are paying for. Prof Walters may be egotistical but the complete indifference students have towards their shabby treatment leaves much to be desired.
The weeding out process in the department of students who are not majoring in this subject or those suffering from geography ignorance is apparent with various tests proving this. Lecturers will agree, but of course this makes their jobs easier. An interest is not enough, as being a geography student is turning out to be a priviledge not a right. I do not have the same amount of courage as Garth to sign my name as I am not one of the privileged.
I am intrigued by the reactionary attitude, and an almost violent one at that, displayed by a Urge number of New Zealanders to the activities of Hart.
This is an organisation which has always practised non-violence, and I have yet to see evidence of the "groundless" and "misinformed" information which is apparently being sent in copious quantities to the four corners of the earth.
Why then the reaction? Could it be that Hart hits a little bit below the belt and tweaks the otherwise dormant conscience of New Zealanders who prefer to sit idly and comfortably by, in little old Godzone, while the rest of the world, and all its ills, pass them by?
New Zealand has been heard to make the occasional rumbling about various events and areas around the world where oppression or inequality has been manifested, but when the opportunity arises to aid, or at the very least, show support, for the oppressed or unequal through (heaven forbid), a small sacrifice on our part (i.e. 30 rugby playes would be prevented from playing twenty or so games of rugby), we balk and turn our backs.
We attack the source of the tweak (Hart) rather than the source of the conscience (apartheid). This approach requires absolutely no sacrifice on our part and is thus infinitely more preferable. It's a bit like treating an injury with an aspirin, it helps get rid of the pain, but does nothing to help heal the wound.
Incidentally, its ironic but not surprising that it seems to be the very same people who supported our intervention in Vietnam, who are now throwing their hands up in horror at the thought of interfering in South Africa because, they say, it's 'none of our business", or "we shouldn't be sticking our nose in other peoples affairs".
I was also intrigued by a comment in a recent edition of Salient to the effect that the F.O.L., Hart and other such groups (whoever they are), are creating class divisions in New Zealand society. This may or may not be so, but in any event, they pale into insignificance when compared to the divider of NZ society, supreme. You guessed it, the New Messiah himself, the Right (appropriate enough) Honourable (less appropriate) R.D.). Muldoon. Think on it,
p.s. I am a born and bred New Zealander. However, I fully realise that were I a foreign (black) student, studying in New Zealand under a scholarship, I would not be entitled to hold or express, the above opinions.
Hart means "Halt All Racist Tours", therefore, assuming they are against the All Black Tour, I must assume that they consider the tour to be racist.
What does the tour comprise of? All Blacks touring a country that allows apartheid. Are Hart saying therefore, that 30 All Balcks support racism and apartheid? I put it to you that Hart supports this ludicrous theory.
The 30 men in the All Blacks comprise farmers, lawyers, teachers, managers; some black, some white, some university graduates, some not, some North Islanders, some South Islanders; what a cross-section of New Zealand!!
If they were apartheid supporters they wouldn't take Bryan Williams, Bill Bush and numerous others who are black or part black and vice versa, Bryan Williams, Bill Bush etc might wish not to take the whites.
The New Zealand people, the All Balcks and the Government (who I don't wholly support), are supporting a sporting, namely Rugby, Not a racist tour! Support Sport,
Fart on Hart
I for one am not happy with the much lauded running of the cafe and I have three complaints regarding cafe meals:
(I am in total agreement with your sentiments - I'm so disgusted with those disgusting plastic cups that I intend to start bringing my own tea in a thermos flask - typesetter).
What about Uganda, Nigeria, the USA and Britain? Yes, many of the defenders of the racist system in S. Africa forget the last two countries when they try to divert our attention from the main issue to other things.
Between the USA and Britain, they have been responsible, directly, for the deaths and sufferings of millions today.
Our letter concerns Britain and we would like to set the records straight on certain facts which New Zealanders conveniently forget on behalf of their kith and kin.
Britain is directly responsible for the development of the racist system in South Africa, and Rhodesia. In its imperialistic plundering around the world Britain has been responsible for the genocide of the original people of Tasmania, and many of their counterparts in the Australian mainland millions of others elsewhere who fought back against British invasion. Millions were killed by diseases brought along by their infected British hosts. Millions have been starved to death because of British economic and colonial policies.
As to the last fact we point to two recent examples: the Great Irish Starvation
We welcome further discussion on this subject so that we can expose further the bloodied hands of the British.
To conclude, New Zealanders (pakehas) what about the thousands of Maoris your anc ancestors slaughtered? Are your hands clean? In any such issues when we scream about the barbarity of others, let us think about overselves first, as we always do in other things.
Come With Clean Hands.
Being residents near Khandallah, we wish to add further to the current objections to the siting of the Malaysian High Commission building there.
It is a proven fact that Malaysians do dry their clothes from their windows and cook; putrid smelling foods, at all hours in fact. This can easily be ascertained if any of us care to visit Malaysian student flats.
Although they may be representatives of their country we fear that they may not have yet cast aside their slum dwelling habits which may bring our area into disrepute and lower the value of our properties. We have visited Malaysia for a week last year and have come away with a totally different image from what have been said about it by other New Zealanders in the press.
Malaysia is a beautiful country, but we could see that in our short stay, that is has been spoilt by the people there. These people have no respect for modern conveniences and don't care about beautifying their country. They defecate into the rivers, or open WCs and into ponds where they keep fishes for the market. You can see slums in all the cities. Spitting is a commonplace sight. Drug addicts and prostitutes abound. And one can hardly walk down the city streets without being accosted by youngsters shamlessly begging.
They are also prone to violence. While we were there thousands of violent demonstrating students fought with their police on the pretext that their government was not helping the poor. We got the impression that they could not govern themselves.
Finally, we wish to express our fears that our pet dogs and cats may disappear since it is Known that Malaysians treat them as delicacies called "satay". We therefore object to having the High Commission building in Khandallah for these reasons.
Following up the letter by "a supporter of MSA" (Salient
So far, we have seen only "pseudo progressive spokesmen" except probably R. Pui. One good example was the last minute back out by one so-claimed progressive element when he was included in a delegation by the members in a SGM to present a petition to the late Prime Minister of Malaysia during his visit to New Zealand.
We have had enough of such fiasco and unless they show themselves to be genuinely interested in their beliefs and MSA (one good way is to stand for election this year!) we will have to discard them as "shits" and accept the traditional leadership of the Association.
In the past, you seem to have been content to throw toilet rolls from your high balcony down towards the cable car. The reasons for your artistry are obscure -perhaps poor potty training - and the results are ugly - but then a work of art expresses the relationship of the artist to his environment.
But at 9pm on Thursday last (24th) one of your inmates, flexed biceps honed (like his precepts) in rugby scrums and flung a large greenish apple at me walking below, which bounced off my hand and leg. Now this was quite an accurate shot - the nearly vertical drop means you only missed braining me by about a foot. Apart from wasting an apple, and nearly wasting me, no harm has been done. But how can anyone supposedly well educated care so little about people. I know the academic qualifications to Weir Mouse have been removed, but mental retardation is an inadequate excuse.
Personally, I think of you in the same category as the wit who defaced the new wooden Maori sculpture by scratching crosses and "ballocks" on it.
Our schooling system lives in a fairytale world ("post-conventional") where irresponsible stupidity is never punished unless it threatens the dream. Pregnancy is real but contraceptive advice is not necessary because pregnant girls leave. I think you have come to University in an attempt to stay in the nursery. Well, we don't insist you grow up, but would prefer that you did.
So next time you are up on that balcony, make a strong effort to act ten years older than usual, and, newly adolescent, frustrated in your single sex environment - masturbate! But don't do it when people are below, because if your prick falls off from the cold, the coroner will be embarrassed.
The English students are up in arms about assessment. They frequently complain (with good cause) that the English Dept. often seems aloof and uninterested For nearly two years Dr Helen White has been at this Varisty on a Junior lecturship. She has injected a vigour and life into her work that makes her stand head and shoulders above the other (Prof. Robinson coming second) members of the Department.
Personal contact with her as a tutor and friend is encouraged. English literature is one of the most spell-binding subjects that anyone can get interested in. Dr White encourages the personal level, and above all, stresses th worthiness of the individual approach. She makes it interesting!! She is the type the English Club is complaining there is a lack of.
And now, because this is the last year of her Junior Lectureship she is to be sent packing. I think Salient should look into it and see if she is to be offered a permanent lectureship. If she is not then Salient and the English Club should take up her case. Salient is the student's advocate and voice so it should spell it out to the English Dept that:
"We Want Dr Helen White For 1977 And A Permanent Position"
On the 5lh floor of the Library there exists a Grand Old Man who seems to forget the world doesn't revolve around him and his blasted typewriter, nor does it revolve a around his tape recorder. This is your first warning Fuck up, drop dead, piss off.
This is your 2nd warning from one very pissed off student who wants some peace and quiet on the 5th floor near the typing room where a certain G.O.M. has a full scale war between his tape recorder. With the amplication abilities of the room he manages to:
I as a student will gratefully pass a hat around to buy the old chappy an earphone and then proceed to stuff it up his bloody ear hold.
So I hope this G.O.M. understands that the world does not revolve around him and his blasted tape recorder and typewriter.
The 3rd warning will in fact be the alternatives to the 1st and 2nd warning -SABOTAGE and since he loves the room so much we could even arrange a lock and bars.
So next week with the exams it would be appreciated if you would please keep the noise down.
Occasionally in the past Salient has noted that its policy is to print all letters, subject to the laws of defamation and obsecenity. Recently we have withdrawn a few letters on these grounds. Now, and with some regret, we must announce new editorial policy. Due to the greatest outpouring of coprophiac (look it up - Ed) and bum-fetish indulgence unequalled since the dewers last broke at Parliament buildings, we now reserve the right to not print letters on the grounds of excessively nauseating bad taste or crushingly irrelevant vacuity. Contrary to some frustrated students' opinions, the Salient letters column is intended to be a Jorum for free exchange of fact and opinion. Criticism is welcomes, even urged, but try to keep the incidence of faecal references to less than one word in two, please. Shit spielers and general drivellers have taken a new sort of personal therapy. They are respectfully urged to write their hang-ups onto toilet walls, or write to NZ Truth c/o 175 Taranaki Street, Wellington.
If anyone wants to write a letter to Salient hand it in at the letterbox just inside the Salient door, or if you wish to pay 8c postage then send your letters to P.O.Box 1347 Wellington. Letters should be double spaced, tidy, and on one side of the paper only.
I am deeply agreived to see that the standard of literary appreciation has sadly fallen, amongst some of the despicables, who subscribe to Salient thus putrifying the very paper they write upon.
I refer of course to the vile debasement of that magnificent epic "Harolde Hedde". It is indeed a bitter blow when the excrescence of one or two prudes, can interfere with the aesthetic pleasures, and intellectual stimulations, which the majority of cafetaria Trev's derive from a work of such obvious fluency and style. I beg of you do not let this become another "Furry Freak Brother" or a "Fat Freedy's Cat", untimely ripped from a captive and appreciative audience. It was insult enough enough that I and my fellow suffers should have to wade through untold pages of propagandist excreta, before reaching this one ray of light and hope for sanity.
Last week's Salient saw the ultimate betrayal, a paper totally void artistic merit, that left us drowning in the stinking carnage, of sanity and political paranoia. Such a paper even lacked sufficient texture to wipe our disgruntled fundaments (sic-Ed)
Please answer the prayers of the enlightened multitudes, and bring back "Harolde" - ressurect the works of past masters as well, and let us shake off the chi chains of Victorian morality, that the fore-mentioned prudes would hang around our necks. Please publish a copy of "Twat" for the secret perversions of those who treat Harolde's impecable literary taste with superficial distain concealing jealeousy
Regarding the cartoon strips Harold Hedd I thought they were great. I enjoyed reading them and was not disgusted in the slightest. Though not as good as the "Furry Freak Brothers", I still looked forward to reading them. I was, however, disgusted by their absence, in fact there was little or no satirical or humourous content at all this week.
This I expect to be corrected by the next issue. How about a warning on the page before the cartoons - "Warning: the next page may contain sexist and offending material".
Also the fish and chips in the cafe can be bloody revolting at times. It seems as though they know that there is a long line of people eaiting so they just leave the food in the oil for ½ a second and then bring it out all greasy and raw. What happened to those fantastic chips of last year. Also when you salt the chips only the ones at the top get salted.
Has the new "ticket" method been a success? It seems you still wait just as long. I would think it would be mor ehygenic however, not having to handle money,
My God I'll say! The time has come to put perverted mindless drivel to paper with pen! (Ha Ha I can hear Ms Gates drool now!) Yes......let it be known that I engjoy seeing sex in your rag (at its most perverted whats more), God yes why it was only 9 years ago when I first saw my first copy of "Playboy... but now I'm past that.... cos I'm into Harold Hedd!
So I'm telling you that if you don't put Harold back in this nudespaper I'm going to do something drastic like whack you all on the pee pec's with a wet soggy towel!
So I'm in mad, well thats good because at least one bastard hasn't paid his sanity tax... no sir not me (imagine if Harold had, wat a bleeding bore!).
Anyway what female with any instincts (my god we all have them (lets hope you're a dying race - typesetter) finds Harold offensive? I mean to say he's original and he's different.
So I hereby challange Mizz Gates to draw something just as original but sexist i.e. putting men down (You know - Really Putting them Down!), with females dominating the males O.K.?
If it is not original Ms Gates wins 2 weeks in Sydney (aagh, a fate worse than death) and if it is original well I for one will fuckin lap it up!
p.s. why is Harold Hedd sexist? Just cos he's you know..... nudge...... nudge... slept with a lady. ! always thought it was a two way operation
Harold was going to write himself but he's been not quite right lately, since everyone's been tripping a bit of a lot, y'know. People don't seem to understand me, but then neither could mother either. He's been awfully upset about these really nasty letters about him and his life, but Piggy won't let him into the country and they wouldn't give him a pilot's licence anyway, so here I am.
Well, everyone knows life's for living and loving and living to live, (or is it living to love?). Well, its all there all the time, so theres no use pretending it'll all go away, because trees are turtles on Friday. No one's seen him since his bike ride thru the I own Hall, streaking past Mayor Frowler, playing "Get it off" in B. Freddy says he'll turn up soon but we don't know if fish and chips tonight will help, since we're all broke.
If Tony gives Ruber three bones he'll be hungry tomorrow, cause thats when him and Harold go skiing. Sally says hell be sick today, but Trev isn't sober till three tomorrow, so nobody can Say really, what should I do about tea? Well its all on next week, they say so I suppose no-one really cares if the Russians sty or go on. Napoleon is cooking tomorrow but Jo says it not "for real.
Well what we'd all like to know is when will Harold be back please, as we're running out of gear and its getting cold in Kelburn this year, with everyone burning exam papers to keep hot. My car won't go because fish cat trees and its scared.
p.s. Marc says thanks for the scons, they look good on his car, too.
Let's get something perfectly clear: this rag is walking a fine line between visiting the shit house on one hand and being read by students on the other. Cut the funnies out, and it falls on its face. I can handle the moronic trivia presented each week about sociology debates, abortion, Malaysian affairs, and whos fucking who in the French Department, and I can even enjoy reading the letters, until a small-minded subspecies pops up from the toilet-bowls of the University and tries to muscle their views onto the majority and keep the funnies out. It's the same old shit, where a big-mouthed minority screams over the silent majority. Well fuck you all!! Harold head is a ripper and he'd better stay.
Having eagerly awaited for yet another copy of Salient, I was bitterly dissapointed to find not a trace of that lovable character, Harold Hedd. Instead I was horrified to find letters complaining about sex and drugs. What has happened to Salient? Where are our (your loving reading public) sources of literary stimulation. The sensuous sight of marijuana the excitement of intercourse at the debutant's ball, the exhilarating hilarity of comic strip highs!
What is wrong with good ol' sex and drugs, the traditional passtimes of students. Are all the apathetic souls having their live's ruined by those most evil of evils -assessment and examinations! Let there be an end to this purge! Let us see a returned to sex and drugs, and all those other pleasurable activities in Salient soon.
Freaked Out Again, Man
God No. 24
p.s. Let's see another copy of twat
pss Salient's stil the best shithouse paper we've got.
Heed not the scorn of those unfortunates amongst us who have no sense of humour, and decry the like of Harold Hedd. Not everyone is a dope freak, but you don't have to be a tee-totalling-Pat Bartlett-type either. No wonder the world is so fucked. A paper can't depict a simple piece of sex (which after all is not the only thing in the world) in a cartoon without bourgeois perverts going bezerk and moaning as if Salient was the National Party's rag.
Cartoons and comic strips are just as good as everything else in your publication, and omitting them is like omitting your editorial. Salient is not complete without Harold Hedd and the Fabumours Freak Brothers! and the like. A bit more humour might cheer up those apathetic morons all round Victoria who never do anything except support Muldoons dictatorial policies, appose Hart, and get A-passes (if they can be stuffed moving out of the library). I hope your Noble self will rectify the humour situation as best you can.
In his report of the last SRC meeting Hugh Blank quoted me as describing the education system as "unjust and inequitable". He went on to say that he did not think my "suggestion of jumping on the band waggon of protest for the opening of Parliament would much advance student interests".
My remarks at the SRC meeting were made before I moved the following resolution: "That VUWSA hold a demonstration at Parliament on 23 June to protest against the Government's rejection of NZUSA's representations on student bursaries; that the Association support the Wellington Trades Council's protest against the Government's attack on working people's wages, conditions and democratic rights; that the President and the Education Officer be directed to carry out this resolution and that the Wellington Trades Council be immediately informed of this decision."
The point I made at the meeting was that NZUSA's case for a cost of living increase and other reforms in the bursary system must be seen in the context of two wider events.
First, the trade union protests against the Government's wage freeze and other attacks on the trade union movement. Like many union members, studetns are low income earners; like the trade unionists, students' incomes have been effectively cut by the Government's refusal to increase wages or student allowances to fully take account of inflation; and like the trade union movement, the student movement has in recent times protested against Government attacks on democratic liberties. I suggest to Hugh Blank that all these things constitute a firm basis of unity between students and the trade union movement not "jumping on the band waggon".
Second, the Government's policy of cutting education spending which has affected all levels of education, especially primary and secondary teachers through the curtailment of the day relief scheme.
Some of those who have protested against these cuts have suggested that minority groups, in particular, such as children in rural areas and Maori and Polynesian children, will suffer from these cuts. This is undoubtedly correct. But the point I made at the meeting was that these groups are already suffering in our education system.
In this regard, Hugh Blank may be interested in the following comments which are taken from a speech by Mr W.L. Renwick, Director-General of Education, at a conference in Christchurch on
'The days have long since gone when a policy of equality of educational opportunity could be summed up in a commitment to increase access to education under conditions that provided a fair field and no favour. Many of the questions that now torment the social conscience arise from inequalities in the outcomes of eduation. The issue that confronts us today is no longer how to provide quality of educational opportunity; it is the educational consequences of a commitment to equality as an objective of social policy.
For we now know that educational systems are not neutral in the way they con convert educational opportunities into life chances Relative success in school is highly correlated with the educational level of a child's parents. The higher the educational level of a child's parents, the longer the children are likely to go to school, college or university. The longer the period of education, the higher the leaving qualifications, and the more interesting and remunerative the occupational opportunities. Our education system, in common with education systems the world over, has come to be seen as an agency of social selection. For various reasons, which I will not elaborate here, it performs this function less starkly than do a number of other countries that come to mind. But we can now see from our own educational experience why school systems have come to be regarded as, in the words of one radical critic, institutions for the manufacturing of underdogs. A policy of equality of educational opportunity is fine for the winners. The education system helps them to maximise their abilities and get a step up in the world. But what about the losers? What has the policy done for them except to make it clear to them and everyone else that they are losers and that they apparently had little in the way of ability that could be maximised?"
I would not claim that because Mr Renwick says something about the education system he is necessarily right. What is significant about his remarks is that he has publicly drawn attention to problems that critics of the education system have been hammering for years.
I have tried to make the above points as briefly as possible in this letter, but I feel they need to be debated fully in "Salient". Therefore I hope that Hugh Blank and others who disagree with me will take these matters up.