—Authorities Threaten

Varsity Censors Triumph At Auckland

Auckland Students' Executive members have censored their varsity's newspaper Craccum for publishing a poem by James K. Baxter and a book review entitled "The Vaginal Viewpoint of Mary McCarthy".

At an extra cost to the Students' Association of $80, the Auckland Executive had half of the 16-page issue reprinted Minus the offending parts.

Although the Association's lawyer, Mr. L. P. Leary, Q.C., suggested the Association may have had to face legal action over the articles, the Editor of Craccum claimed, in a release to student newspapers, that the real reasons for the censorship appeared to be more a result of varsity politics.

The press release describes the legal opinion as being invoked by the Students' Association President only as a rationalisation of the Executive's stand.

In fact, the release claims, some Executive members were scared that the Auckland Vice-chancellor, Mr J. K. Maidment, might carry out threats to discipline students involved in the publication of the banned bits.

Further, it suggests, those "bureaucrat" involved In censoring the paper did it because they were 'frightened of offending wealthy philistines" who may contribute to the University Building Fund.

The report quotes from an anonymous publication curiously entitled Wreccum:

"The hypocrisy of the official altitude is revealed by the fact that scatalogical and sexual humour is allowed in capping book which serves a commercial (fund-raising) purpose. A serious literary review, and a poem by a leading New Zealand writer are banned."

"No building fund is worth intellectual dishonesty, the submission to intimidation, the betrayal of free speech in a University."

The Vice-chancellor's complaints did not end with Baxter's poem and the book review. He also "objected to the general tone of the paper" and was in favour of censoring two other articles as well.

One was a review of a book on birth control by a Catholic doctor. The words objected to are in bold—

'Many readers would. I fear, never gel beyond the obscenely sentimental preface" . . . Through the years those words of Father Finnick have resounded quietly but firmly in my mind . ."'

The Vice-chancellor also objected to a satirical comment on the Auckland Art Gallery Coffee House. This article, entitled "Pilgrimage" describes a man having a salad lunch, he slices a tomato with a knife and "seeds squirt sexually." The article ends with the comment:

"Friends, artists and countrymen, if this doesn't create a Left Bank, nothing will."

After the Vice-chancellor had threatened to take the matter to the Senate, the Students' Association Executive held their third emergency meeting.

They did not concern themselves with the merits of the censored articles.

Rather, the press release says, they discussed the Vice-chancellor's powers and their application to the banning of Craccum.

The press release describes Mr John Sanders, Craccum editor as saying that he considered the action of the Auckland Students' Association in agreeing to the Administration's recommendations to delete two articles "was an hysterical and conformist act which contravened the principles of freedom of expression, usurped the editorial function and pandered to the most authoritorian sections of the community who considered the present iniquitious system of literary censorship to be a stick to beat well-meaning students over the head with."

Mr Sanders complained that "it was now the case that any student who devoted hours in composing an original piece of work for publication, and who had every reason to expect that others would be able to enjoy his work, would be faced with the disappointment of seeing his work totally erased in an arbitrary way by people who have no genuine appreciation of that person's work."

As for the actions of the Vice-Chancellor Sanders said he thought "a dangerous precedent had been established if questions of literary censorship were to be subsumed under the heading of discipline."

The clandestine publication Wreccum, which has appeared on the Auckland campus, challenges the Executive to submit an offending copy of Craccum to the Indecent Publications Tribunal.

The President of the Auckland Students' Association has said that apart from any moral issues, the Association could face legal and disciplinary action as a consequence of publication of such articles.

He "noted with concern the tendency to experiment in the field of law". "I believe that this is not the function of the Association's official newspaper until it is quite clear that a sufficient majority of members desire such experimentation," he added.

Helen Williamson listens to Terry Bryan playing in the new coffee bar, Student Union Building.

Latest news is that the coffee bar will be closed Monday, March 16, until the Student Union Management Committee can meet and discuss the matter.

Many students are upset that the new facility, already making be closed so soon. They cannot understand why A Secretary I. H. Boyd will not permit it to remain open. A petition is being organised.