President's Status Questioned

The meeting continued, with this bad taste in its mouth, for another three hours, until Mr O'Regan raised a point about the status of Mr Hercus.

In deadly silence and with the full attention of every member (this is unusual), Mr O'Regan proceeded.

He pointed out that there was only one meeting to go and that the issue must be settled. He asked members to think about It and make up their minds now. He made his position clear: they needed a president, but they had none, and that this showed executive in a poor light in students' eyes, "It is time the situation is cleared up," he said; "we are in a mess!"

Miss Frost: "You think, Mr O'Regan. we are in a mess till what you consider the appropriate measure has been taken."

Mr Mitchell then aswered a constitutional query by Miss Picton, who wanted two presidents, one at Waihi, the other at Wellington. She dropped the idea, and Mr Watts spoke.

He made his position very, very clear. "Mr Hercus," he said, "knew the position in December: he could resign or hold the office of president in Waihi while letting someone else do the donkey-work in Wellington. He should have taken the first alternative, but he chose the second." He deplored the "half-baked position we are in." He suggested that executive should make up its mind to elect a president from the committee.