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Salient: An organ of student opinion at Victoria University, Wellington. Vol. 23, No. 4. Wednesday, May 4, 1960

Readers Reckon

page 5

Readers Reckon

Readers Reckon

Lehrer Dissected

Sir,—With reference to your recent extravagant coverage of Tom Lehrer, I must record an indignant dissociation, of my views, from the tone of the review purporting to represent student opinion at V.U.W. The five columns involved might have been more appropriately employed on a bona fide student activity: a debate for example.

I personally found Tom Lehrer's performance lamentably deficient in humour. interest, or taste. The same applies to his presentation— the intellectual genius leaning down to the common level of entainment.

It is significant that Mr L. likes to remind us—often—of how boring he personally finds this temporary occupation of his. He is justifiably ashamed, not "modest," of his mercenary outlook.

However, I must concede that Mr L. has two real talents: the control of audience reaction, and the ability to play a piano without looking. With the former his method is simple and should be of value to his faithful ivitations at Wellington parties; he stops when it is time to laugh. is silent for a time proportionate to his personal evaluation of the merit of the joke, and then he continues. If at any time he is not receiving sufficient appreciation, he slams a joke so hard and so obviously that it is not only painful, but insulting to the audience.

However, a series of hammy skits can evidently be counted upon to fill the Town Hall in Wellington at any time, and if those skits have acquired a reputation for the risque touch then the staff and students of V.U.W. will always be fully represented.

* * *

Yours faithfully,

L. I. Kehell.

And Patched Up Again

Sir,—I was disagreeably surprised with the lukewarm criticism of Tom Lehrer in the Monday, April 11 issue of "Salient."

Such a brilliant comedian as Tom Lehrer deserves more than a conservative, slightly belittling description.

Although I hesitate to suggest that the staff of "Salient" is prudish, such appears to be the case when considering the meagre, hairashamed praise of his per-formance.

A rough analysis of the Lehrer audience was most revealing—it showed an extremely small proportion of University students. One would take for granted that a firstclass entertainer (particularly a university professor) would attract a large number of the thinking members of the community. This, however, was not so.

The mere nomenclature "Victoria" should not influence its members to a Victorian outlook.

Yours, etc.,

Let Justice Be Done.

Rewi Alley

Sir,—I appreciate very much your opening words "In the Red" in the issue of March 14, indicating that Salient, 1960 is shiveringly blue. I recall that Lord Cobham once said that we are engaged in a war of Ideas and losing it would be as fatal as losing a shooting war. No doubt students have Lord Cobham's saying in mind, Just as your reporter S.O'R had when listening to Rewi Alley's lecture.

I do not believe Victoria's Interest in Asia to be lacking, but Victoria's students were wise not to waste their precious time listening to Alley's propaganda for the Chinese Communists. As a Chinese student in this University, I wish to point out that Alley has been trying to give us a Communist history of modern China over the past 30 years.

Please find enclosed herewith a copy of An Open Letter which the Chinese Consul General in Wellington, Dr. Daniel Y. T. Lew, has addressed to Rewi Alley, and which was recently published in the Christchurch daily newspapers.

* * *

Sincerely yours,

Ulysses Y. L. Li.

Extract From An Open Letter

"… But instead of Christ you have given us (China) Marx. Instead of the church you have helped to establish the commune. Instead of love and unity, you are spreading hate and division. Instead of the government of God you are propagating the dictatorship of men.

It is a staggering phenomenon that from this nation of 2½ million, a man can go forth to affect the destiny of 500 million. It proves what any nation, any man can do who has a plan, a passion and a purpose. Such a nation, such a man can change the world.

Yet New Zealand is a Christian country. And you have not only failed to share the Christian faith with us in China, you have even brought back to your own country another gospel—the gospel of Marx according to Mao. Yours is the plan, the passion and the purpose of the Communists."

* * *

Who's Sick Now?

Sir,—Avoid troubling about such things as "Why don't you attack something."

Why bother? You have the finest little country in the world. All you have to do is to spend so many years enjoying University life and then get a nice little place in the Hutt. Then sit back and enjoy rugby, grog, the Catholic Church and all the other captivating aspects of New Zealand life. If you don't die of boredom, happiness is yours. If that fails then there is always the marmalade Christianity of the Social Security Department to fall back on.

But don't get sick man, because that's somewhat futile when there is nothing to be sick about.

* * *

Yours insincerely,

D. S. Thomas.

Do We Lick Liquor?

Sir,—It seems a pity that the only topic on which students can make headlines in the Press is the liquor question. The President of the Otago University Students' Association was quoted as saying at an annual meeting of the New Zealand University Students' Association, that the student body, representative of the more intelligent section of the youth of the country, should suggest changes in the present licensing laws in New Zealand. He added that perhaps the licensing laws might be altered so that provision could be made for bar facilities In new students' union buildings.

I would like to say that if this is what "the more intelligent section of the youth of the country" spends its time in discussing, then it is fulfilling a pretty poor role in society. What Is the function of the University? This is a pretty big question and I will not attempt to answer it. But surely one aim is to show society where, in the University's opinion, it has erred. I think the emphasis on drink in New Zealand is one obvious example of moral decline. Does the student body have to conform to society? Surely its task should be to rebel!

Cartoon of man sitting in a chair smoking a pipe shaped like a man

Yours sincerely,

J. Thornley

The Student Body

Sir,—In the interests of the health of the Student body, I feel that immediate action should be taken by the Health Officer on Executive to enforce the use of tongs in our cafeteria. The use of tongs is specified by the Health Dept. of N.Z. as an essential factor in public hygiene and there is no reason whatsoever why the University cafeteria should be excluded from this regulation.

Yours, etc.,

Anon