Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 6, No. 3 March 31th, 1943

Letters to Editor — No Man's Land

Letters to Editor

No Man's Land.

(To the Editor.)

Dear Madam—For some time past there has been a steady deterioration in the quality of "Salient" For this we believe there are two reasons. Firstly, the inability of the editor of "Salient" to co-operate with the staff.

Secondly that original material has been excluded from "Salient" by the publication of much crudely presented overseas propaganda, which has the effect of damaging those causes which it purports to further.

At a meeting of "Salient" consider able criticism was expressed on these grounds; and the editor agreed to meet this by the formation of an editorial committee elected by the staff. While this would have been neither strictly constitutional, nor entirely satisfactory, it provided some hope of reform. However at the last meeting of "Salient" the Editor withdrew this proposal and gave members of the staff no option but to continue under the former conditions or resign.

Under the circumstances, we feel that it would be better to withdraw from a publication, whose policy and style it seems to us, unworthy of a University.

Patrick Hayman.

Hubert Witherford.

P.S.—We should be glad if you would publish this letter in the coming issue of "Salient"

—P.H. and H.W.

P.S.—We should be glad if you would refrain from publishing any other material of ours in your possession.

—P.H. and H.W.

(At a meeting of "Salient" staff called on Friday, 19th, to discuss the contents of the coming issue, Messrs. Hayman and Witherford? levelled considerable criticism at the past "Salient" policy and the attitude of the editor. The issues of "Salient" that have appeared so far this year were criticised, namely, the first single page issue which appeared at a week's notice after the publications committee had notified the newly-appointed editor that it would be desirable to have the paper out on the first day of the new session. The second issue was planned, written and sent to press in the absence of the editor, whose only job in this connection was the proof reading and laying out the issue as too much copy had been sent to the printer the topical matter was given preference, which resulted in some twenty or thirty lines of a feature "Salient Advises" being held over to this issue it is not printed at the explicit request of the writers). Perhaps the two gentlemen may consider that they had not given the practice of cooperation between editor and staff adequate trial.

The second meeting of "Salient" was called for Tuesday, the position as above was outlined in slightly greater detail, and the position of the editor was clarified, any dissenting members of the staff were asked to co-operate in future with the editor as the present situation was unsatisfactory, and failing that the above named chose to resign. Other members of the staff were asked to voice their views and it might be recorded that there was no support for Messrs. Haman and Witherford. The staff then passed on to discuss the policy of "Salient."—The Editor.)