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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume. 34, Number 16. September 8th 1971
-letters-comment-opinion-satire
-letters-comment-opinion-satire
1
Murray Mahony
The 1971 test series with the EEC has come and gone and already the prophets of gloom have begun their feverish ravings. Disregard them. Far from humiliating. New Zealand has emerged from the tough series with much honour. After all, the EEC team were probably the finest New Zealand has faced in the past 20 years.
Some argue that in the final test, which New Zealand desperately needed to win, too many opportunities were frittered away. However, in the final analysis, it was the EEC which dictated the terms and all credit to them.
We must now salvage the country's tarnished reputation in the struggles to come. The National Selection Trials next year will be a vital step in regaining this lost prestige. It is even being speculated that the whole team could be dropped and replaced by 15 completely new players, with a fresh, more imaginative approach to the game.
For all I know they could be right, but in making predictions myself I would play it safe and say that most of the present team would be re-employed. It won't be an easy task for the selectors, but I think the new team will appeal to the majority of the public.
In trying to forecast a 1972 version of the National team, how many players in the present side will retain their positions?
The big question intriguing everybody is whether captain-player-coach Keith Holyoake will retire before the selection trials next year. After the final test Keith told reporters that he had "no announcement" to make regarding his future. Rumours are bound to persist until he does decide. The incomparable Holyoake has no peer in this country, and the tremendous influence he exerts over the stability of the team will be sorely missed.
A player to emerge from the series with his reputation considerably enhanced was vice-captain and first five-eighth Jack Marshall. Marshall has long been a sound steady player and he showed his true mettle when the pressure was on him. He has developed into a very astute general, with an eye for the break and a good tactical kick. Mark him down as a definite possibility for captain when Holyoake retires.
Another candidate for captaincy would be the half-back Rob Muldoon, if it wasn't for his bad habit of getting off-side. He has certainly run the gamut of criticism this season and many would prefer to see him dropped from the team. However, impetuous though he may be, it is hard to see him being displaced. He is dynamic on form, with superb reflexes and is always a thorn in the defence, especially with his darting runs on the blindside.
Second five-eighth, Dan Riddiford, is often hamstrung with Hamlet indecisiveness and he could lose his place this season. He has been around the playing fields for a long time and is probably past his best.
Peter Gordon should hold his position at centre, a department where New Zealand lacks players of real international calibre. Gordon can be a most purposeful runner and tenacious tackier.
Ebullient left-wing Lance Adam-Schneider had the misfortune to miss the third test through leg injury but was back to his best in the final test. Good off either foot, with swift acceleration, he has bagged a lot of points this season and has found his true position.
Don McKay on the right-wing is the second player of that name to make the National team in that position. However it is doubtful whether McKay II is as good as his predecessor, relying too much on orthodox moves.
Fullback Carter's main fault is that he doesn't come to the line often enough. He lacks the versatility so necessary in his position to be able to handle unpredictable situations; very likely to be dropped.
The forward pack has a solid core of seasoned campaigners and it is possible that some of them will be considered too long in the tooth. David Seath at hooker is one who could well be released from national duty. Lethargic displays have marked his game in the past few seasons and it is surprising that he has held his position for this long. In such a key position, New Zealand needs a man who can use his head to his team's advantage. A long tenure of the tight-head prop's position by Percy Allen could similarly come to an end next season. He has had a lot of trouble with injuries in the past few years and this could account for his form reversal of late.
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Never conspicuous in much constructive play outside the tight skirmishes Norm Shelton as loose-head prop is another who could go by the board. He is always dependable but that does not compensate for his slowness on the ball. Tall rugged Brian Talboys is now firmly established as Keith Holyoake's locking partner and is very diligent and methodical in everything he does. A fine lineout forward his clean two-handed take gives half-back Muldoon a wealth of possession for setting up attacking moves. Flanker David Thompson caused a furore early in the tour when he challanged the right of a visiting group of journalists to p int what they liked. He was subsequently cautioned by the team management but held his test place. A very stout defender and devastating spoiler of moves by the opposition's inside backs.
Debonair Duncan MacIntyre is a flanker in the true New Zealand sense. He plays with a calm assurance that belies his relative youth and could well be destined for higher honours. He has very definite ideas about apartheid. Handicapped by a lack of real pace Rob Walker at No. 8 nevertheless gets through a ton of work. He is a resolute tackier and great at tidying up loose ends. Of this season's reserves George Gair looks most likely to force his way into calculations. He is a fine opportunist with plenty of stamina. Allan McCready and John Rae were dropped for the EEC series but could reassert themselves in next year's trials. Allan Dick and Herbert Pickering are two more contenders, although lacking real enterprise.
There it is. It is obvious from the test series where our weaknesses lie and hopefully we can find players to counter them. We especially need good attacking midfield backs with an appetite for hard work and a major reshuffling of the pack seems likely.
New Zealand certainly needs a shot in the arm and a radical switch may be the answer. Who knows? We will just have to wait until next year's Selection Trials.
Arts Festival Debating and Oratory
Victoria University made a clean sweep of the debating and oratory events at Arts Festival.
The intervarsity debating tournament for the Joynt Scroll was won by Victoria - Henry Stubbs, John Blincoe and Russel Fairbrother - for the third year in succession. They defeated Otago in the first round, affirming "That Parliamentary Democracy has failed in New Zealand". And in the final they defeated Auckland, affirming "That the New Zealand Tax-payer does not get value for money from the Universities."
Victoria also figured very prominently in the New Zealand Universities team selected at the contest. That team will debate the Australian Universities' team currently touring New Zealand for the Tasman Trophy on September 11. New Zealand hold the trophy at present. Team Captain is Henry Stubbs - who was also selected best speaker in Joynt Scroll - with Russell Fairbrother as third speaker. John Blincoe is reserve. The other team member is Tim McDonald of Canterbury.
The Bledisloe Medal for Oratory
The Bledisloe Medal for oratory was won by Daryll Hutchison, also from Victoria. The medal - cast in gold - was originally founded by Lord Bedisloe - then Governor General - in 1931. It is competed for triennially by representatives from the various universities on the subject of "a great man or woman connected with New Zealand or an outstanding incident in New Zealand history".
In his winning oration "The Christening of David Thomas Shand" Mr Hutchison took a very original approach. He addressed the audience as though they were present at the christening of a newly born child whose gradmother had died in the Wahine disaster. Using the disaster as a basis, he developed the idea of man's puniness before nature and used the christening as evidence of man's capacity for renewal and continuation.
Mr Hutchison also won Victoria's own Plunket Medal for oratory last July. He revealed at that time a similar brilliance in his use of the unexpected by orating on "Edward Alan Sanders", a President of the United States who was born the day of the contest - 23 July 1971.
Dear Sir,
I like reading your newspaper but I get tired of the way you always pull things to bits. Like the march on Friday [July 30]. That was a good show and it gets in the news and lots of people see it and that makes them think that this is for real and serious and that way something might get done about all this aggression. And there seems to be too much of this funny talk that no one can understand. Like the "2.drugs" man, with all this sense data and alienation stuff and things existing in one sentence but not existing in the next, its too much for the human bizz.
But what I want to tell you is that I think that Tony Simpson is a [unclear: twit]. He says he doesn't like the P.Y.M. but he's half inclined to agree with them. I don't know what that means. I think he's half inclined to agree with anything. I wonder if he does any real agreeing or disagreeing. I wonder if he does anything except tell everybody how much he's read and how good he is at using big words. But even when he uses little words he uses them in funny ways. I thought I knew what myths were, they were things like Thor making the thunder and all that, but from what he says it seems that when my boss pays me a dollar twenty an hour and charges two dollars fifty an hour for my time then that's a myth. And I thought I knew what fascism was. Like Hitler and Mussolini and them but he makes it seem like anybody who believes in something and tries to do something about it is a fascist. It gets the poor old swede piece spinning.
I think the PYM are good people and I believe in what Tony Simpson calls "the primacy of action" if you want to call it that. It seems to me that many things around here are not too good and that we ought to do something. Everybody ought to do something, and it doesn't much matter if I've heard of Zaroastra or not, the thing is to get out and do what you can as hard as you can about the things you think are wrong and people who write flashy stories saying that the people who do this are not good or fascists give me a big pain in the bum. In the words of the poet:Asking you pardon as to the verse
'T would give you heartburn in the arse(J. Joyce)
I'd be proud to have some of the PYM represent me, and I don't get laughed at at work. Tony Simpson hasn't met enough workers. Like his Bolsheviks maybe he hasn't met any, he's too busy word-mongering. Maybe the PYM does some things wrong but they do lots of things right too, and they do Do Things to try to fix this bloody shambles we try to live and work in which is a lot more that you can say for most people. From what I've met of these people he wouldn't hit you on the head with the piece of wood when you didn't see the ship, he'd help you build a raft because it would be doing something to fix things up.
Yours sincerely,
B. W. Moore.
2
Chris Halliwell is a Cambridge University student in political science and law, who spent two months this year working in New Zealand.
Crisis of disaster proportions has recently hit New Zealand — her national religion (not God) is in tatters — her workingmen have been denied their traditional form of sustinence for a considerable amount of time — and her main source of income has been gravely threatened. But lo, what do New Zealanders continue to discuss but — God and sex. Admirable in moderation but hardly likely to save the country's economy, halt the chance of racial trouble or bring equality of opportunity to rich and poor, Pakeha and Maori alike.
Equality of opportunity is looked upon by some as Socialist but in fact Disraeli in the 19th century was allegedly striving for this goal. Equality of opportunity combined with an attack on racial discrimination of any kind will solve the basic problems between Maori and Pakeha. Teaching Pakeha how to speak Maori is no answer — it is the middle-class method of evading what ought to be done. Appreciation of the Maori culture and way of life is important but more so is to create the environment in which Maoris can advance their education and hence increase their earning power. This in short means higher family allowances to allow children to stay at school longer, better housing leading to better health and attendance and performance at school and at the place of work.
This naturally will mean sacrifices on the part of the pakeha but the slogan should be "pay now or pay more later." The explosive situation could easily worsen and bloodshed would replace prosperity.
Some Kiwis will look down Queen St. in Auckland, Lambton Quay in Wellington or High St. in Christchurch and talk of equality. They have omitted to look at Ponsenby or Porirua. It would take a thick-skinned person to talk about equality there. Education for all, even through university is fine, but how about a consideration of the house in which the child lives and the economic climate to make him or her stay at school beyond fifteen. This not only applies to Maoris but also to Pakehas.
New Zealand has always in the past had a reputation for humanitarianism towards the less fortunate but she must now see that she does not lose this amidst the indignant cries from farmers over Maori crime rates — polarisation of the races will help nobody.
Rather a genuine attempt to help Maoris and Islanders to acclimatise to city life. The threat of fines and prison will be useless in this respect but guidance from social workers will be all-important.
New Zealand is entering a difficult phase as far as social policies are concerned. In a few years time she could well be dealing with a more substantial drift of population from the land as her traditional source of income becomes more and more unreliable. She will be diversifying her use of other land and also her use of labour. The social effects of such a change must be examined. Planning must take into account education, health, transport and housing facilities to cope with ever-increasing urban populations.
The problem of increasing leisure-time must also be looked at. How will a country so short of culture be able to adjust to live a sophisticated urban life? Boredom in the cities is one of the main causes of madness.
A culture must be created by encouraging artists, architects, writers and musicians. At the moment New Zealand's feeling of nationhood goes little further than the All Black jersey. A national culture could be a means of escaping from American influence on New Zealand life.
But this nationalism must not be isolationism. It must be outward-looking, especially in respect of the South Pacific area. She must foster prosperity there for this is where New Zealand's responsibility lies.
The visitor to New Zealand will on arrival be asked what he thinks of the country. Having seen hardly anything beyond the airport tarmac this question isn't too difficult but must not on any account be skated round. The vital answer of approval must be given if Kiwi abuse to the "pommie bastard" is to be avoided. One gains a feeling that New Zealanders are unsure of their position in the world. An approving answer from a visitor will put them a step up on the Poms, Yanks and Aussies. The lack of confidence is dispelled.
New Zealanders talk of living in a rural community and yet one quarter of the population lives in Auckland whilst vast numbers inhabit the other three main centres.
One talks of humanity and yet where is the national health service; what of the conditions of staff and patients at Oakley; the riots at Mt. Eden prison; and the lack of maths and science teachers at school? What humanity is there in Muldoon, who more then most represents the majority.
No, humanity has gone as the farmers, workers and employers all display their aggressive attitude and social standards are turned aside.
The burden therefore rests on those in education, social work and the Church to help the underdog; to see past the profit margin and the pay-packet and to witness and expose the human indignities being suffered by the old, sick and needy. It is these that the New Zealanders would rather paper over with the help of the visitors. A country where insurance companies profit from the sickness of others and where means tests are prevalent must view its social philosophy closely.
3
The observation that a large majority of university students know very little about N.Z.U.S.A., has been made often. It is true and I think it is one reason why education receives less support than it should as a student activity and interest. N.Z.U.S.A. is one of the most effective educational pressure groups in N.Z. and students at each university have a powerful tool through which their policy can be publicized, debated and adopted.
N.Z.U.S.A. winter council held at Waikato for four days during the August holidays was fairly undramatic - student politicians had little time or wish to be flamboyant and powerful; most of the work was time-consuming and tiring.
Education Commission consists of two delegates from each universty (one usually being the Education Officer), the Education Vice President of N.Z.U.S.A., (an unpaid position), and the Education Research Officer, Lindsay Wright, (a salaried position) who is leaving N.Z.U.S.A. at the end of the year. For this position to be effective for student needs. N.Z.U.S.A. needs a person interested in education, capable of long-term research and who is a politician - not an easily met requirement. Victoria often seemed to have gone a fair way towards having some of the facilities and opportunities which other university students were demanding. Our Research Unit on University Teaching and Learning is being set up, although it is underfinanced, and the acceptance of our new B.A. regulations and the discussion on the Committee of Examining Report in some ways indicates more enlightened attitudes than appear at other campuses. [Like hell-ed!]
Some of the main issues covered by Education Commission were firstly the need for a national conference on Education. It seems that one may be held related to the N.D.C. but N.Z.U.S.A., as yet, has not been invited. Next January, secondary school teachers are organising a seminar with speakers from overseas talking on experimental education and although N.Z.U.S.A. decided it could not contribute to this financially, interested students should find this a valuable event.
N.Z.U.S.A. has done much work on bursaries with the recent addition leading to a thirty percent increase in affective cash allowances; (N.Z.U.S.A. submissions asked for a fifty per cent increase). The question was asked as to whether or not students object to bursaries being related to academic success. As Graham Collins or I have heard very few complaints this year about bursary anomalies etc., I can only assume that at Victoria, not only do students find the method of allocation of bursary money satisfactory, but that they are also well-financed throughout their university study.
Otago had investigated the buying of textbooks and reported that there is a general trend towards more expensive U.S. publishers and that book prices have risen markedly, resulting in students buying less prescribed texts. This is perhaps worth investigating at Victoria so that staff can be made aware of the expense involved.
Mike McAllum prepared a paper on Kawhia High School and it seems that the state of rural education should not only be brought to the attention of our government, but that our own Education, Sociology and Anthropology departments should commit themselves to such a problem by contributing information on this topic through research.
The question of how to determine what criteria we use to set limits on the number of overseas students, and N.Z. students, to be admitted to our universities, now that our own 'open-door' policy is to a large extent, a myth, was a relevant question for students to debate - no one yet knows a solution and students are as well equipped as most to set about finding an answer.
N.Z.U.S.A. on a national level, and Victoria, both need students interested to work in the field of education. N.Z.U.S.A. need an Education Vice President from January next year, and also an Education Research Officer. Next year is election year. Victoria must have an Education Officer and committee willing to work. At council, we donated $500 to the N.Z. Combined Education Association Election Campaign fund and we will work with these people at a local level, arranging publicity, talks etc.
Much of student politics is a game, with no-one winning in the end. However in education N.Z.U.S.A. have backed their words with money and through the Education Research Office and individually local university students can be effective.