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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria University College, Wellington N.Z. Vol. 21, No. 10. August 6, 1958

Casual Comments

Casual Comments

Unholy Alliance

The liquor trade's defiance of the recent Price Order concerning prices and measures for beer served over the bar, merely underlines certain conclusions many thinking New Zealanders had reached long ago concerning the trade's respect for laws that don't suit them. The New Zealand Alliance (the organized prohibitionists) held their annual conference in Wellington a fortnight ago, but failed conspicuously to point the accusing finger at the beer barons for this latest piece of piracy. A recent conversation with an Alliance official convinces me that the wowsers regard the extra penny as a good thing because it will help cut down beer consumption—in spite of the fact that it also represents a breach of the law by their age-old (supposed) enemies.

This all suggests the basic truth of the front-page headline on the last issue of "Salient" last year—"An Unholy Alliance of Brewers and Wowsers". Besides being a pet hobby-horse of G. K. Chesterton's, this general thesis is developed in a book due to hit the market before Christmas. Entitled "Grog's Own Country: the story of liquor-licensing in New Zealand", this is the work of a graduate of Vic, well known in his days here in connection with debating, tramping, "Salient", extrav., and perfervid politics.

Independence for New Zealand?

Dr. Evatt has suggested that Australia shoud embark on an independent foreign policy with a neutralist slant. Is this not a suitable line for New Zealand, too? In the thermo-nuclear age, we still cling to outmoded defence and foreign relations concepts, which clamp us in the vice of one of the big armed camps which threaten the peace of the world. An independent block, initiated by like-minded neutralists inside the British Commonwealth with nothing to gain by war, would gradually attract many smaller nations and give them the voice which Evatt and Fraser hoped U.N. would give them.

Vote for Violence

So the National Party proposes to sail into the next political battle with the banner of C.M.T. still fixed to the masthead, and a birch as well as a gallows on the prow. This merely confirms the prejudices of those of us who always associated right-wing politics with the advocacy of violence. Still, it is comforting to note that even on these highly emotive issues, there were a few calm voices raised on the side of reason at the National Party Conference—but, as always, too few.

Prospects for Graduates

An American documentary film on New Zealand made during World War II, described us as "the most highly socialized country outside of Russia." Whatever the truth of that may be, it is true that a very high proportion of our university graduates look for employment in the Public Service. For this reason students should inform themselves about the current debate between all service organizations (spearheaded by the P.S.A.) and the Government on an adjustment in Service salaries promised by the National Government before its demise. Should public servants, or any other section of the population, allow themselves to be dissuaded from asking for what is due to them by the cry: "Don't embarrass our Labour Government"?

Free France?

The initial indignation of democrats all over the world about the hoisting of the senescent General de Gaulle into the French premiership, seems to have subsided. I trust this does not mean we now accept him as being not as bad as he might be. We must remember that he is there solely because of the blackmailing activities of the militarist clique that runs Algeria—the same clique that has just last week called for a "Corporative State" in France. De Gaulle cannot remain independent of the brigands who put him in power. His woolly talk about "integration" and "equality" for Algeria is amply clarified by his hysterical cry, "Vive I'Algerie francaise!" What the Algerians want, and in justice should have, is independence. The de Gaulle Government's suppression of all voices in France favouring independence for Algeria, is extremely sinister. The Communists, be it noted, are, no doubt in response to some double game of Khruschev's, being very quiet about Algeria. But the Radical journal "L'Express" and the independent left-wing "France-Observateur", have been subject to repeated police interference and censorship, because of their consistent, and correct, line on the question.

Drawing of camels