Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 13, No. 11. June 8th, 1950
Priority
Priority
As the Exec, saw it, the new treasurer would need to be pretty well qualified. A Commerce degree or accountancy qualifications would have first priority under a scheme which would exclude the returning officer from accepting any other nominations if one person with the superior qualifications stood. He could accept if there were none such, a candidate with Accountancy 11: if no person with those qualifications offered, then the job of appointing would fall to the Exec, by cooption.
Mr. Foy, Mr. Goddard and Mr. Jenkins all disagreed with this move and with its effects. There was danger, they thought, in appointing someone on such a restricted franchise. If everyone but people with these (uncommon) qualifications were excluded, then the Association would have to make its choice from a very few students. None of these speakers suggested that the appointed exec, member, selected on a restricted franchise, might perhaps be allowed only a restricted vote on those matters for which he was appointed. This might have been a logical way out of the impasse, though possibly the Exec, would not have accepted it as such.
An amendment by Mr. Foy having failed, the gag was swiftly put on discussion of a further suggested amendment from Mr. Piper—before hearing either the amendment or the arguments. The meeting "was in no mood to listen to further discussion; some of those present had been taken from serious matters like other club meetings; some had left their comfortable firesides lured only by their sense of duty. That sense was wearing thin after an hour or so. The meeting closed. The elections in a few weeks time will therefore include one for the office of Treasurer.