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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 11, No. 1. March 17th. 1948

[Review of the annual meeting of the Socialist Club on March 8th]

Approximately fifty people attended the annual meeting of the Socialist Club on March 8th. The annual report presented by Gunter Warner revealed the intense club activity of the past year. The salient points were the Indonesian demonstration, which brought Victoria world fame, and defeated legal attacks on the rights of citizens to free assembly and expression of opinion. The Yugoslav clothes drives, film evenings and publications were also mentioned.

The election of officers resulted:—
  • Patron: Mr. F. L. Coombs.
  • Vice-presidents: Mr. Platts-Mills (British M.P. and ex-V.U.C. student). Mr. Martin Finlay, M.P., Mr. Toby Hill, Mr. A. H. Scotney.
  • President: Mr. Harry Evison.
  • Secretary: Conrad Bollinger.
  • Committee: Nell Casey, Oscar Melling, Harold Dowrick.
  • Building Com. Rep.: Gunter Warner.

Ron Smith then gave a full and interesting report as delegate from the club, on the Australasian Student Labour Federation in Melbourne in January. He revealed that the Labour and Socialist Clubs which exist in every Australian university play an extremely active part in student affairs. The conference considered that a united front type of labour club such as the V.U.S.C. which embraces all types of labour and socialist is preferable to a club with direct political affiliation.

The police bashing of students in the Indonesian demonstration in Sydney was outlined and the subsequent legal condemnation of the police in the Supreme Court was explained. A report on the decisions of the conference and plans for the future and an outline of the Melbourne tramway strike. Mr. Smith also commented on the Australian Financial Assistance scheme for travel concessions and urged our executive to take up these questions. The need for club members to take a lead in the union building campaign was emphasized.

The secretary read a letter to Mr. Platts-Mills, a British Labour M.P., and a previous Rhodes Scholar from Victoria congratulating him on his consistent fight for Socialism and peace. This was signed by members present.

A resolution supporting the N.Z. Carpenters' Union and demanding the withdrawal of repressive emergency war legislation was carried.