The best thing about this meeting as a very fine report tabled by the [unclear: ducation] Subcommittee (Convener [unclear: Eter] O'Brien). The report (to [unclear: Vinter] Council, 1958) gives an [unclear: exellent] outline of some student [unclear: probms]. The principle points were [unclear: ade] under the headings [unclear: Accommoation]. Student Costs and [unclear: Reoriention], of Upper Sixth Form Work.

Accomodation

Full-time students, who depend on [unclear: oney] earned in the long vacation, [unclear: nd] any bursary they may hold, [unclear: selom] pay less than £4/5/- a week for [unclear: ieir] board—£160 in forty weeks. [unclear: arty]-time students pay about £220 [unclear: or] fifty weeks.

Acommodation may be four kinds [unclear: —hostels], flats, private board and [unclear: iving] in. There are about 182 hostel [unclear: tudents], paying an average of £4 week, who can be sure of [unclear: reasonble] swotting conditions. A further [unclear: 00] pay that and more and cannot [unclear: be] sure of good conditions at all.

The flat-dwellers are groups of our students and more, who pay £4 to £5 for roof and food, [unclear: whether] eating in the town and caf., [unclear: or] cooking their own meals. Their [unclear: wot] conditions are pretty fair.

Private board, on the other hand [unclear: may] vary violently in quality and [unclear: may] or may not provide swotting amenities. Landladies usually take pretty good care of students boarding with them, but space may be restricted, and there may be any number of children.

Finally, not all students who live in get free lodging.

Cost of a Student Year

The full-time student without bursary with bills for books, clothes and occasional luxuries, fees, fares and board totalling £310 at least. The part-time student, paying extra fares and board for his longer period in Wellington will part out at least £374. A student receiving the H.S.C. Bursary has his expenses cut by £90. These figures, of course, do not apply to Wellingtonians living in, but a surprising number of Wellington students leave home after a while.

These figures suggest that most out-of-town students must find at least £220 during the vacation if there is no financial help forthcoming from parents. The very time that should be spent by students in getting an adequate rest after Finals and working on a programme of background reading, must be spent at hard physical labour. Not may be. Must be.

Little Jack Horner

After the Exec had complimented Mr. O'Brien on his report it turned to the Education Subcommittee's remits to N.Z.U.S.A.

I have said before and I will say again that Exec's favourite dish is Subcommittee Pie, into which it sticks its meddlesome fingers until one wonders why it bothers to have subcommittees at all.

A subcommittee is an informed body set up by the Executive—a group of specialists whose task is to clarify maters on which it has special knowledge for Exec's benefit. Remits and recommendations from these groups should be passed without discussion unless they conflict with explicit Executive policy.

But no—hardly one suggestion passes without envious fondling and officious tinkering. Of seven Remits from the Vic Education Subcommittee to N.Z.U.S.A. three were passed after much discussion, and four referred back to Vic. How our student officers could care so much beats me. It was probably the time they spent unnecessarily discussing these that cost them their secretary.

"Another Subcommittee Report," says Shaw. "Shoot when you see the whites of their recommendations," says Wilson. Hume giggles. Another Subcommittee bites the dust.

Reorientation of Work

This part of the report contained the most practical suggestions about secondary school curricula we have seen for a long time. Victoria suggested to N.Z.U.S.A. that the Post-Primary Teachers' Association be approached (don't stop reading this—it picks up later on) about recasting Upper Sixth work with a view to making it come closer in scope and nature to university work.

Decline and Fall

It seems that a committee of students were thinking about the demolishing of the Gym. So the word went round that pretty soon we would all tear the dear old horror down. The night before it was to take place the committee made it clear to everybody that we should do no such thing. Well, nearly everybody. The rumour had at least 10 days' start.

On a Saturday night in July some students gathered and beat hell out of the walls and windows of the place. Mr. Wilson says he would like to see them.

It seems, too, that Mr. Wilson, together with Barry Hume and ex-President John Marchant made themselves into a sort of Vigilantes Committee and asked several members of Exec to se them. Then they wrote a report.

Apart from the fact that it seems somewhat risky to quiz members of a small elected body like that, the question arises—how did Exec people get involved (however remotely) in this?

And as if the whole imbroglio didn't already reek of corruption, the Wilson-Marchant-Hume Report was (you may turn pale if you like) Suppressed!

Big Shuffle

To begin with David Davy was co-opted as Secretary to the Students' Association in place of Peter O'Brien. While they were about it, Exec very sensibly made Bernice Jenks assistant to the Secretary. The appointment was probably overdue anyway.

Of all new women members on Exec, Miss Jenks seems likely to be the most effective—I don't mean the most impressive. Elizabeth Beck, with her Anna Russell attack, would walk off with that title. Nor do I mean the crunchiest—Sharon 'Granny Smith" Thomson is all of that.

Filling Mr. Davy's place on the Men's Committee was astonishingly easy with four consenting nominees to choose from. At this particular time Mr. Nandan is the best possible choice. Mr. Nandan, an Indian student from Fiji, has ben active in the International Club for some time. Though not a Plan student himself he is recognised as a leader by Colombo Plan students and is the ideal representative for the growing number of Asian and South Seas students. Mr. Satya Nandan was eventually co-opted to fill the vacant position.

Small Change

In a pathetic gesture of good faith somebody moved that Messrs. Corballis, Halley and Gamby be reappointed Editors of "Cappicade". Reports received from the Publications, Cappicade and Procession Committees made hardly any impression. More reports from the University Council and the N.Z. U.S.A. Council were received almost without comment. Yet despite the paucity of business the meeting went till 10.35.

Exec. meetings are to go no later than 10.30 in future, unless discussion is urgent. This very sensible motion was put forward by Mr. Hume because it was felt that the lateness of the hour at the last meeting had something to do with the Mr. O'Brien's resignation.

Near the end there was a brief rally, when Mr. Davy discovered that he was chairman of the International Affairs Committee, and wondered aloud what it could possibly be. There was an embarrassed hush, and an audible sigh of relief when Mr. Shaw was seen to raise his hand. Mr. Shaw leaned forward exuding reassurance. "Mr. Chairman, in reply to that . . . er . . . sorry . . . what was that question again?"

Just as a matter of interest we are buying a Gestetner.

John Gamby.