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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 29, No. 9. 1966.

Untenable

Untenable

Sir George Fowlds, on receipt of the letter, immediately sent round a memorandum to staff members. In essence, it required all public statements by staff members to analyse and give both sides of the question. "The true humility of mind brought about by real learning is a definite check upon the intellectual arrogance engendered by a little knowledge," it read.

Sir George pointed out that while staff members have a right to the protection of college authorities, the authorities are entitled to demand that utterances by staff do not put them in an untenable position.

The last paragraph made the purpose of the memo explicitly clear. "I regard recognition by members of the staff of the responsibilities referred to in this memo . . . as being intimately related to the question of fitness for tenure of a university post."

The letter had by this time been forwarded to the New Zealand Herald and the Star. Both papers refused publication. It was then dispatched to the New Zealand Worker, which was anything but reticent, the letter being printed in May of 1932.

Meanwhile both Beaglehole and Richmond sent a critique of the memorandum to Sir George, as a "minority report" of the College Council which had approved and endorsed the document.