Unjustified

The Foxton Borough Council, one of the two local body councils to ban the sale of "Cappicade" in areas under their jurisdiction, has refused to justify its decision to the Students' Association.

Replying to a request from Doug White, President of the Association, as to why sale of "Cappicade" were not permitted this year, the Town Clerk said:

"I am to inform you that Council does not have to give a reason for not allowing the sale of your Capping magazine in Foxton."

He said one of the essential requirements for approval in the future would be the submission of a copy of the magazine wtih the application.

The decision was followed by a similar refusal from the Wanganui City Council quoting the "low standard of the publication" as the reason for its action.

Doug White wrote to the council asking "why the publication was considered to be of a low standard this year, as opposed to other years, and on what criteria the council decided the standard of a publication before allowing it to be sold in Wanganui."

The Town Clerk advised that the reaction of the general public was the criteria by which the standard had been decided.

"The letters of condemnation appearing in the Press and representations made direct to Council were more than usual."

He said the ban applied only to street sales.