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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 27, No. 5. 1964.

Letters ..

Letters ...

Art or Rubbish?

Dear Sir, Whoever organised the "fine arts" display for the University festival might profitably have exercised a little more discrimination in selecting work for display. The present exhibition includes a smattering of second-rate stuff by well known artists, and a number of works by students that one would be loth to hang in the lavatory. The fact that they are students and not professional artists may have been the excuse for allowing them to perpetrate such rubbish, but the work of outside artists should not have been displayed simply because the poor folk had stuff on their hands that they couldn't get rid of anywhere else.

Praise to M. King for "Omega" and to perhaps half a dozen other artists, but the display as a whole flops horribly.

I am, etc.,

J. Murphy.

Hostels

Included in the University Council Report to the Executive was the information that two church organizations are interested in building Halls of Residence if land becomes available.

Wgt. Festival

Dear Sir,—Why does Wellington have no annual festival of the arts? As a comparative newcomer. I was surprised to find that there Is no such concerted artistic effort in a city which cherishes a reputation for cultural liveliness. I expect the question has been raised before and that there are good reasons for the non-existence of a festival; but I feel that such an institution could solve some problems in Wellington's and particularly Victoria's cultural life.

If one were to be initiated it would not need to try to challenge the growing national character of Auckland's. It would however involve the working together of the various local cultural, intellectual and administrative bodies which at present remain largely aloof from one another.

This has particular application to us; there is current feeling at Victoria that we are somewhat isolated on the hill (emphasized by the fact that the university has within its precincts very good accommodation for its plays, concerts, etc., in the Memorial Theatre); and little is known by the general public about what goes on. Some coherent action by the relevant groups would perhaps have better results in making Victoria's public image more widely known, and highly thought of than the present peripheral contact made by each group on its own initiative with the others and the public at large.

There is an additional asset in students initiative or being in the forefront of the initiation of a Wellington Festival, in that the tendency to "philistinism" criticised last year in the Auckland Festival organisers by the editor of Craccum may be made a little more remote, even if it did not rule it out entirely.

L. E. Roddick.

22 Years Tired

Dear Sir.—I have just been given a copy of Mr. Rowlands' amazing review of Argot, and was impressed mainly by its inane remarks, incoherent thought, and by the critic's obvious incompetence for his task. In all a thoroughly poor bit of writing, and worthy neither of your paper nor your reviewer.

Others will have sent letters expressing similar views and giving instances to support their argument. I need say no more. Except to comment on the curious last paragraph, in which I am severed from the "younger poets and new writers", and my poetry (the langorous, Chinese-type stuff) is given the extraordinarv epithet "tired".

The Tiredness of Kirkland ! ! !

Dear editor, please tell your misinformed readers that I'm not middle-aged, nor disillusioned, nor languid, nor incapable of self-analysis .. . Mr. Rowlands, have mercy on a tired 22-year-old ! ! ! You may have a photograph, on request.

Yours faithfully,

Hilaire Kirkland.