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Parade

A session was held on student publications. The long shadow, stretching from the U.S.A. of a threatening economic crisis, was clearly seen, and discussion was held on its effect on graduate employment in Australia.

A strong resolution was carried urging the NUAU's Executive to take up vigorously any attacks on academic freedom. This is "very important as there was in N.Z. during 1947 a dangerous growth of the desire of different authorities to censor other people's expressions because they did not agree with them. The examples of Airey in Auckland and Child in Dunedin, and the Government banning of the film "Indonesia Calling." indicate the extent of this ugly trend.

The struggle for education starts with the sruggle for a living. Some of the students at Melbourne had to work in cafes and milk bars in the few days between the two conferences; many had hitch-hiked across hundreds of miles to get there. Hundreds of New Zealanders have been able to continue their studies and complete their degrees solely because of the financial aid rendered under the Rehab. Scheme. There is no space to go into the Australian Financial Assistance Scheme for non-servicemen students, of which there is no equivalent in N.Z., nor to deal with the demands of NUAUS in this respect put forward in January, 1947, Suffice to say that the rising price level in Australia particularly affects students on fixed incomes, such as those on Servicemen's living allowances and also Government-assisted students and scholarship holders. Resolutions dealing with this and with the recent increase in tuition fees at Sydney University were also passed.

A visit to the Universities at Melbourne and Sydney is quite an experience in Itself. One sees block after block of large buildings, luxurious student union buildings and large playing fields and campuses. The situation here of desperate shortage of buildings, inadequate cloak-rooms and overcrowded cafeteria has been aggravated by the post-war influx, but not caused by it. In particular the almost ridiculous building known as the Gym. Is now hopelessly inadequate for our University. The formal part of studies—the lectures and examinations—are only half of education; the other half consists of the "extracurricula activity"—the Debating Club and the Drama Club and the Socialist Club. For this sphere we find lack of committee rooms, a clash between sporting and cultural clubs for the use of the Gym., and the situation where three clubs are regularly wanting to use It on the one night available. There is no provision for screening 35 m.m. films; the production of decent plays is proscribed. If there is one thing that a visit to Australia does. It Is to convince one that a large-scale effort must be immediately made to raise funds and get our Union Building under way. Every student who is concerned with more than getting a ticket to a job must take part in a campaign to obtain for Victoria and adequate Union Building.

Finally, although Salient has always done a magnificent Job in reporting overseas developments, there is no doubt that personal contact provides an insight into events that reading cannot supply. To meet people who were at the Youth Festival at Prague, who attended the Council meeting of I.U.S., and who worked on the Youth Railway in Yugoslavia, brings you from isolated N.Z. into the mainstream of the world youth movement. Travel is part of education: and N.Z.U.S.A. must immediately take up the question of travel concessions on ships and on the N.Z. Railways and also of enrolling students temporarily in the Seamen's Union and allowing them to work their way when travelling overseas.