Compromise On Arts Festival-Tournament

Victoria President Tom Robins claimed that his University would be unable to find billets for all if the joint Tournament-Arts Festival was held as planned. He said that Wellington had special accommodation problems and that its Students' Association lacked the experienced administrators to run such a large-scale undertaking. Victoria thus wanted Tournament and Arts Festival split.

Victoria's stand was supported by Sports Union President. Gordon Hewitt, who said that Victoria's 1965 Tournament could turn into a shambles, and this could lead to several Sports Unions declining to take part in future Tournaments.

Auckland's Tournament Controller, Doug Arcus, also supported the separation of Arts Festival and the Sports Tournament, asserting that the administrative load had grown too much for one man or one committee to handle.

Otago President David More refused to accept the claim that Victoria had a special billeting problem. The Hutt Valley alone had more people than Dunedin, said More, and suggested that the rest of the country should not suffer from Victoria's internal problems.

Upon Robins re-asserting the claim the Otago President moved the resolution, "That NZUSA strongly recommend to VUWSA that it takes immediate steps to improve relationships between VUWSA and the Wellington community."

Despite strenuous protests from the Victoria delegation, the motion was passed 6-4. This brought Victoria delegate Alister Taylor to his feet. In an angry outburst, he suggested that Victoria should tell Auckland how to run its libel suits, and then moved "That NZUSA investigate the private lives of the Otago delegates, and report its findings back to Easter Council." Otago promptly seconded the motion, claiming that its members' lives were above reproach. However, the motion was not passed.

Later in the evening, tempers appeared to cool down and the Victoria and Otago delegations reached the compromise agreement referred to previously. Council then rescinded the motion which had called on Victoria to improve its public relations.