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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington N.Z. Vol. 20, No. 3. 4th April, 1957

Reforms

Reforms

The members of the delegation were told that a change of policy had occurred since Stalin's death in 1953, and the impression received was that there was a greater emphasis on individual rights than hitherto. Restrictions of various sorts have been used. For example, foreign visits such as their own are now permitted, and the Chancellor was told that a new law permitting workers to change jobs on giving two weeks' notice is now in operation. This last was previously quite unheard of.

In scientific fields, University teachers and students clearly have considerable freedom of thought and discussion, and other teachers seem to have a greater freedom to air their own views than prior to 1953. Yet, Sir David thought that they would not be free to express views on political matters contrary to those held by the State authorities. Despite some liberalization fairly rigorous controls are still in existence. Censorship of books and papers is very strict. Sir David himself spent some time trying to find in a library or on a bookstand a copy of an English newspaper printed in an Englishspeaking country, but was finally convenced that one could not be obtained by any ordinary means.

Sir David suggested that the Soviet Government, while permitting more freedom of thought and discussion, had failed to realise how difficult this movement would be to control. It had failed to see this because in the past its control had been complete and the last few years have been a very new experiment. Educated people whom the delegation saw most of, like this new opportunity to meet visitors from abroad and to exchange views even though they were totally different.

There was a young lady called Clover

Who sat on the white cliffs of Dover When along came a student More ardent than prudent

Who kissed her, and then threw her over.