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Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University Students Assn. Volume 40, Number 1. May 23, 1977.

Censored

Censored

Students who have been reading Salient this year will have noticed the hostile attitude of the editors towards the Young Socialists group on campus. From the puerile Factional comments that are made about the Young Socialists in reports on SRCs and the AGM, to Evan Leslie's pointless reportage on the Mangere by-election, the journalistic approach has been the same: mindless anti "Trot" comments are the rule.

What is not reported in the pages of Salient is how these editors have refused space to the Young Socialists to reply to these slanders. When students week in and week out read attacks on the Young Socialists, but find no replies appearing they may think we have no response. But the only reply David Murray will allow us is in the letters column - while he allows his colleagues half-page articles devoted solely to attacks against the Young Socialists.

When one of Murray's buddies, Bruce Robinson, didn't get round to responding to one of these Young Socialist letters, they thought it would be rather fun to write a letter for us - they printed a forged letter under the name of Patrick Mulrennan.

While refusing us space for articles, they think it is a joke to fabricate letters. Students Association president, Lindy Cassidy, thinks it's a "trivial matter".

Salient has become the factional rag of David Murray and his buddies. In defence of this state of affairs, they hide behind the "editorial independence" of Salient, or claim as Lindy Cassidy does that by sticking up for our rights, the Young Socialists are siding with the right wing.

But while accusing us of "liberalism" - that is for demanding that students should have access to the student paper - they are putting forward the notion that one individual - David Murray - should be able to treat Salient as a personal possession.

But Salient, as its masthead proclaims, is the "Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association". As such it should put forward the stance of the Students Association - for instance, by publicising the campaigns the association is involved in like bursaries - and should provide a forum for student debate. Mouthing on about the rights of editorial independence when you are in the process of abrogating the rights of members of the Students Association is a specious argument.

The arrogant disregard for the basic right of fair representation displayed by both the Salient editor and other Maoist student officials has left the Young Socialists with no alternative but to begin publishing "Censored Salient". This first issue is published as a supplement to "Young Socialist".

"Censored Salient" will publish articles that David Murray and his gang censor. This issue contains two articles on the events in China - an area in which Salient has reported only the official Chinese line. Before they were even submitted to Salient, David Murray said that he would not publish any article that gave the Young Socialists' point of view on these events. When the articles were submitted on Wednesday 18 May, he said that they would not appear in Salient for the current issue, nor for any issue this year.

The second article, "China in Turmoil", is a speech that Alan Pinjen gave at a forum on April 21 at Victoria. This forum was not covered in Salient, although when the Young Socialists offered to review it, Murray said that he personally would write a report.

Watch for future issues of Censored Salient.

Juanita Doorey,

VUW Young Socialists, Ph 846669