Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 29, No. 9. 1966.
Retrenchment
Retrenchment
In September the [ unclear: Univ]sity Council met. The [ unclear: Edu]tion sub-committee [ unclear: rec]mended the plan be [ unclear: procee] with. Two hours' [ unclear: discuss] led up to the retrenchment Dr. Beaglehole.
To the end, Sir [ unclear: Geo] insisted that [ unclear: Beagleho] political views had [ unclear: noth] whatever to do with retrenchment. ". . . The [ unclear: wh] assumption of political [ unclear: op]ions being responsible for the proposed arrangements garding the History [ unclear: Depa]ment next year, are who [ unclear: out] foundation in fact," said in November, 1932.
[ unclear: o] a certain extent he was [ unclear: t]. At no time had Dr. [ unclear: glehole] stated any political [ unclear: s]. But he had challenged president's views on public statements by staff members. Also challenged was magistrate's unconsidered union and in association, of the "semi-sacred" [ unclear: ets] of our society—the rule law. The crowning aberralay in soliciting the [ unclear: port] of the New Zealand [ unclear: rker] whose political views [ unclear: e] quite clear even if Dr. [ unclear: glehole's] were not.
[ unclear: etting] aside political views the retrenchment, the [ unclear: nomies] motive does not are with the circumstances [ unclear: er].
[ unclear: he] Department of History [ unclear: h] 202 students was the second largest school on the [ unclear: lege]. Students per lecturer [ unclear: ounted] to 101 compared [ unclear: h] 85 for English, the next [ unclear: gest]. Moreover, the history school was carrying on without a professor.
In 1933 there was to be one and a half lecturers for 202 students.
Students of the History School unanimously filed resolutions of protest at the harsh treatment of a lecturer and of themselves. In doing so they paid tribute to the fine qualities of Dr. Beaglehole both as an academic and a lecturer.
The irony of making economics the justification for doing away with Dr. Beaglehole was revealed at the end of the year.
Despite the conscientious effort to save £360 it was possible to make an ex gratia payment of £200 to Beaglehole's executioner, the Registrar. He was leaving for America with a valuable fellowship and the extra finance was to allow him to extend his trip to England.
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The Facts of this article have been taken from "Academic Freedom In New Zealand, 1932-1934," by F. A. de la Mare.