Arts festival complaint

Sir,—I spent a very pleasant first week of the holidays at Arts Festival in Palmersion. However, there were one or two aspects of the Festival which displeased me greatly. On the whole the Festival was extremely efficiently run. But should an Arts Festival be out to make a profit? From the exorbitant charges. of some of the events it was evident that Palmerston was determined to make this Festival pay, no matter how unpopular they became in the process. From the ultrareactionary bouncers who sneered at me from the door of the Training College hall in the final Folk Concert I. gleaned the proud news that they had received approximately £100 in door takings: from this event alone.

On top of this there was the final play. I went to see "Endgame" and "The Maids" but after paying my 4 - (6/- for non-students) entry I discovered that Genet's play had been cancelled. Having paid 4/- for an hour-length play we wanted somewhere else to go. This is where the bouncers enter. For we were not allowed into the Folk Concert (this was a t halftime) without paying the full admission (5/6, no reduction for students). Consequently the people who did go in had paid twice for the same length of entertainment.

After inquiring here about the cancellation of "The Maids" I was introduced to the theatrical controller who glibly pointed out that it had been advertised as cancelled in the paper that night, and anyway it was worth the money, was it not? Indeed in the paper, as I saw afterwards, there was a small notice of cancellation in the advertisements. However, in the same paper there was a preview of both plays being performed that night. I was later told by a member of the cast that it had been cancelled since the previous Monday, yet it had not been announced by Massey.

Finally I would like to put forward some suggestions for future Festivals:

1.	That Arts Festival and Tournament take place in separate weeks, thus giving people the opportunity of going to both.
2.	That the Ball and Drinking Horn be abolished as these are not artistic events and were to my knowledge the only really unsuccessful parts of this year's Festival.
3.	That much less emphasis be given to Folk and more to Jazz. Classical music and poetry.
4.	That people are chosen to run the Festival who show a genuine interest in forms of art and not merely in being as officious and mercenary as possible.

Wild motion?

Sir,—It Is a great pity that; NZUSA moved a motion to urge the Government to support full-scale economic sanctions against Rhodesia, without consulting the students they supposedly represent. The wild and impractical nature of the motion is not worthy of a university organisation. At least some universities saw fit to abstain or tried, unsuccessfully, to amend the motion. Such an issue as this is not for the NZUSA to decide alone.

In this country there is a trend for a group, once it is a position of seeming responsibility, to forget those who put it there. It appears that NZUSA wants the public to think that students desire the anarchical state that exists in the majority of black-run African countries. to take over in Rhodesia. I do not want to see perpetuated the solelywhite government. but it is certainly less a "threat to peace and a betrayal of human rights" than an abortive black government would be. To last against the present sanctions proves the strength of the Rhodesian administration, a strength not shared by any black-run African country at present. There is great foolishness in replacing a strong, self-supporting state, which has something to contribute to the world, with yet another of the "independent" black-controlled states. whose economy can only exist when bolstered with loans from overseas white countries, whose fellow countrymen they had so ardently expelled.

A coalition of black and white is the ideal for Rhodesia. but as long as there is a suggestion of a solely-black government in Rhodesia, Mr. Smith's policy is the only practical one. Why should the whites give up all they have done for the country? It would not be as strong as it is if it were not for them. There is a principle of right and stability at stake, a principle we have no right. whatsoever. to decry. If, however, we are going to decry it, let it be as the result of a poll of student opinion and not the action of those who represent us, on their own account.

Film Reviews Confusing

Sir,—"Salient top paper"— congratulations! However I do think that the judges can't have taken Rex Benson's film reviews into account. Things like "intellectual systemisation." which may have great meaning to cinema fiends are incomprehensible to people such as myself who, like most students, just appreciate and enjoy the occasional good movie that comes this way.

Mr. Benson would be utilising his obvious enthusiasm and knowledge far more profitably If he wrote 200 words or so on one film at a time without worrying about what "auteur" means. It would be good so see him review a film which he has actually seen and which his readers have seen or will be able to see. Then we might see some comprehensible, useful film reviewing in your Top Paper.

Philip Burgess

[Selection of review topics is at the complete discretion of Mr. Benson.—Ed.]