Congress Resolved

Conference agreed to the holding of Congress at Curious Cove in January for the next three years. Most of the Student Congress For Forum resolutions were treated simply as an expression of opinion and lapsed for lack of support. In particular, two Student Forum resolutions moved by Arch Matheson and Betty Dibble of Victoria were passed over in this way. Arch Matheson's motion was that this Congress urge the N.Z. Government to give greater aid to South East Asia. Betty Dibble promoted the resolution, "That the challenge to our way of life made by the Communist ideology should be met by the widespread endeavour to understand it; to compare the ideal with the facts of its practice and to encourage discussion and publication to these ends rather than by suppression as in Australia and vague prejudiced propaganda against it, and often untrue statements about it." Although it was a pity that these and other resolutions dealing with less immediate questions quietly expired, it was very pleasing to note that Forum Resolutions 3 and 9 were considered, at least. Miss Sinclair of Otago had moved the resolution recommending that "examination marks in all subjects be made known." This was acted upon by Conference and a grievance worrying a large number of students was ventilated thoroughly; representation will be made to the Senate by the executive. The discussion which took place on the expulsion of Indian student "Pat" Charma by the N.Z. Government, was quite unsatisfactory, at least as far as the student press was concerned. Conference went into committee for 10 minutes on the motion of the AUC delegate (Britain and the Iron Curtain was Rung Down). If Conference was satisfied by the explanations given there are a great number of students in the colleges who are going to ask Why? very insistently in the coming months.

Perhaps of greatest moment to sportsmen here and at the other colleges was Victoria-sponsored proposal to investigate the continuance of Winter Tournament. It posed the question: Was Tournament fulfilling its function? As far as it is possible to ascertain the matter is still unsettled and will come up again at the next conference in August.

(But this motion was in the terms of Old Timer's letter in issue 1: i.e., to lead students in the fulfilment and maintenance of rights and duties, keep students informed of events important to them inside and outside the College, act as an honest muck-raker in commentary on national and international affairs, stimulate intellectual controversy and to create a VUW-consciousness by making students aware of the College's traditions, etc—Ed)

(This meeting continued for 19 hours and the minutes run into 18 pages, and since further matters were probably discussed more information is being sought.—Ed.).