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Salient. Victoria University of Wellington Students' Newspaper. Volume 32, No. 16. July 16, 1969

Thomson Wild

Thomson Wild

In your editorial of the last issue of Salient you accused me of being the "major proponent of the advice to censor Salient", in connection with the article concerning the alleged "sell-out" of Focus by its Administration Board. You added that my "reluctance to undertake responsibilities had not gone unnoticed".

You omitted to mention a number of facts which cast a completely different light on the situation from the one you present in your editorial The first of these is that one of my least enviable responsibilities is to ensure trial no legally actionable material appears in Salient. A further relevant factor is that in suggesting that certain names be omitted from the article in question I was doing no more than following the advice given by the Association's lawyers. To accuse me of attempting to "censor" Salient is thus to completely distort the facts of the case.

It is interesting to note that the issue here was a legal one: there was no question or interference in editorial policy. You had as agreed to accept the decision of Executive on the matter, and had Executive decided that it would not face the risk of a legal action, you would, presumably, have gone along with this.

In the event, a majority of Executive decided to disregard the legal advice. That you should then accuse the minority of "irresponsibility" says little. Mr. Wilde, for your undemanding of press-executive relationships, and even less for your appreciation of that concept a student editor should most strongly uphold, the freedom of speech and opinion.

If you choose to make completely unfounded accusations, and to conduct minor witch-hunts into the activities of those who oppose your wishes in carrying out their responsibilities, you cannot pretend to be surprised that I do not "present an enthusiastic defence" of your efforts.

J. B. Thomson.