The level of student course criticism?

Student behaviour in the campus hat gone from bad to worse. I refer to an incident on July 26 during the Com Law lecture in Lecture Theatre E006 between 2—3pm. Not satisfied with throwing paper aeroplanes, several students threw "rings" made from computer cards at the lecturer Mr Hercus. Many clapped when he "ducked". One student even went to the extent of throwing an empty fruit juice can at Mr Hercus. It would have caused him physical injury had it hit him. Also many students who left the lecture theatre during the lecture did so noisily thus disturbing those who stayed. Mr Hercus is good natured in the sense that he did not lose his temper even once during this "barrage" and "commotion" and indeed it is sickening to see "high spirited" students taking advantage of this. To those "high spirited" students — If you don't respect Mr Hercus as a lecturer, at least respect him as an old man!

Faults at Todds

Is it true that the land Todds built their new factory on at Porirua was surveyed by the Land and Survey (or MOW) and described as suitable only for recreational purposes due to the presence of two fault lines. If this is so then what did Todds do or promise to do in return for the purchase of highly desirable but 'unsuitable' industrial land.

Independence for Sarawak

Why the hell should R. Pui stick his neck out for the Malayians? It is time for Sarawakians to think in terms of separation from the Malayan colonial yoke.

Some nit wit said he is barking up the wrong tree. He is barking up the wrong tree. What Sarawakians want is independence from all foreign rule and Malayians can go and jump from the top of Easterfield building if they can't speak out for themselves.

Although he (Pui) is very courageous in standing up on behalf of these dumb foreigners, he should put his country first. He never referred to the oppression that goes on in his own place in his interview. Thirteen miles outside his home town is a concentration camp of 8000 people. This camp is surrounded by barbed wire fences 20ft high. People are being arrested without trial, people cannot travel to Malaya without a passport, write official letters unless in the official 'language', one could go on forever listing the types of oppression by the government there.

Sarawak was an independent state before the war. After the end of Japanese occupation, the British 'reluctantly' took over and exploited the oil and timber resources. When they decided to retreat in face of world opinion against colonialism, they thought it would be a good idea for Her Majesty to remain in power behind the scene by, bringing up the idea of 'Malaysia'. The Malayans' found it very agreeable because it was a great opportunity for them to expand their territory, Sarawakians totally rejected the idea and joined in the revolution in 1963. Many sacrificed their lives for independence. The rivers were filled with their bodies when the British could find no place to bury the murdered heroes. The remnants of this' revolt are still fighting in the jungles. It is time for Sarawakians to consider fighting for independence before the Malayan imperialists take over the country completely,

Bikes and the law

With regard to the article on page 5 of this week's Salient dealing with the towing away of motor bikes, I would suggest that your reporter Instead of making snide comments about what happened, should first have checked with the person responsible for ordering the tow firm to remove the bikes, as to the reason for the action. He should then have written his article with this reply in mind.

The bikes were parked in an area of the court yard between the Easterfield & Rankine Brown buildings, which is clearly labelled 'No Parking', and prevented a lorry bearing essential and heavy supplies for a university department getting into a suitable position for the unloading of these supplies, which due to parking problems elsewhere within the city area could not be delivered at another time.

I would also suggest that your reporter obtain further legal advice on the laws relating to parking and towing away of motor vehicles, bearing in mind the phrase, "due care and consideration".

Sense of humour?

In criticism against your present editorial stand to censor what you refer to as "inanely non-critical" letters, I must forward a gentle little philosophy of mine. In this world of advocated revolution, economic instability and general disagreement and hatred it is a pleasant relief to find a sense of humour. Yes, a sense of humour (or have you guessed already?) is my gentle philosophy.

With this in mind I congratulate the authors of the amusements which have recently appeared in the letters to the editor. While they appear not to amuse the hypo-serious editor I for one find them entertaining and a pleasant change from the knife throwing letters and articles which one is continually subjected to in this self-proclaimed revolutionary wedge.

What are the objectives of Salient? This perhaps needs clarifying, is it purely another one of the messy little crass revolutionary rags which litter our streets? I am sure our editor would sometimes like to think so. To me at least, as on average reader, I would define its objectives as three fold.

While I consider the first two points necessary in a rather over realistic world the last objective would not be discarded at any price. It's mankinds saftey valve from this negative world we live in.

So I suggest the editor reconsider Salient's objectives and stop this nonsense about censoring light heartedness which has been adding colour to a drab little rag.

MSA Conspiracy?

I am dismayed and appalled at the number of pro-Malaysian Government letters appearing in the last issue of Salient. It appears to me that there is a great deal of political manipulation of overseas students by the Malaysian High Commission, and that the latest flood of fascist and defamatory nonsense is an indication of this. I cannot see how a dozen unrelated Malaysians suddenly get up and violently attack Robert Pui without MSA's nose being in there somewhere. Not that I am criticising each and every member of MSA — on the contrary I know quite a few good, if conservative men, who are high up in the organisation. What I am criticising are the completely unwarranted slurs on the character of Robert Pui, who is a man fighting for an honourable and worthy cause, a cause that needs help, not condemnation. I exhort every student, local or overseas, to join Robert in his fight for freedom and democracy.

Chess for the masses

Why has Salient not got a chess column? I am willing to write one (each week).

[O.K. bring it in — Ed.]

Jesus!

It sickens me to see one of your correspondents signing a silly, unnecessary piece of drivel with the pseudonym, 'J.Kryst — Christian'. If the person wishes to write satire that's o.k. with me; but to (1) hide behind a pseudonym in a most cowardly manner, and (2) dump his excreta upon us and you as a christian viewpoint is childish, prejudiced, wholly unfounded and annoying.

I would ask your correspondents to exercise their common sense faculties and exhibit some restraint and civility in future.

The privileged class

R. Pui has made the right analysis of the Malaysian political situation. Amin, Annoyed Malaysian, A Group of Loyal Malaysians and True Malaysian reflect the typical irrational reaction to criticism

The "commie" spectre is raised again but this is unconvincing. The communists in Malaysia never really got off the ground with the previous colonial government making a lot of false promises to them and then letting them down when they gave Malaya independence by denying them legal recognition. A lot of the present Malaysian problems are attributable to this betrayal. The source of Malaysia's problems lies not in the insurgency problem but in the fact that it has never really been independent.

Malaysia is a neo-colony of foreign powers whose presence are so evident there, the plantations, tin mines, timber milling, manufacturing industries and ad nauseam. The government has continued the old British play in rule through dividing the people through the language, religions, special privilege issues. This is the core of the problem. It is easy for people to boil up just because these issues are mentioned. Some take it as an attack on their language, religion and specific privileges, hence are very sensitive to any talk about these topics.

These sensitive issues have created second class citizens out of more than half the citizens of Malaysia. Who can then be proud of being a Malaysian when he does not enjoy equal privileges no less with the privileged class? This is however a dream. We do not even enjoy the basic human rights.

A foul foetus

I have just undergone my first attempt at abortion, namely, the knitting-needle thrusts of Jessica Star, as she tried to weave, in her best fashion, a convincing argument why my uterine brothers should die.

However, large impediments ruined the texture of her argument. Earlier in the afternoon she had undergone (in her own words) "a sorcerer's sideshow", and it appeared to have left a lasting spell on her. Using Impotent generalisations and sterile analogies she tried to tie the diffuse strands of abortion and woman's emancipation together, by the single knot of an umbilical cord, which left most of the audience wallowing in her low-octane effort (like aborted foetuses in old diesel cans) and pregnant conceptions.

She tried in vain (or was it vanity?) to prove that any throw of the ovarian dice entitles the woman to kill the developing human life within her.

All in all it was a one Star performance, bordering on the inadequate for her part.

The dangers of trivia

I couldn't help noticing over the last two weeks a certain amount of trivia creepong into the letters printed by you. I refer especially to two letters signed by the "White Sports Coat Society" (the President of) and the "Acting Secretary of the Pink Carnation Fan Club". These letters printed on that most sacred of all institutions the letters page of Salient purported to offer a solution to the "Middle East Situation" that was so banal as to be offensive in view of the debate that has been going on recently among genuinely concerned people that I wonder at your selective capabilities. I must however be thankful to your not publishing the latter showing [unclear: coorophiliac] tendencies as the graffiti on the toilet walls around this university is sufficient in itself to offend the aesthetes using them. These letters which on the face of them are humerous and make a welcome change from the usual Marxist propaganda and spiel about the evils of imperialism and capitalism are potentially dangerous in that they may eventually lead to us being inundated with so much crap as to dull our thinking.

Salient is biased!!

At the Salient forum it became apparent that people seem to think that the job of Salient is to be an impartial new-sheet presenting an unbiased account. This is a typically liberal attitude which sees standing the middle, condoning neither the left nor the right. What actually happens is that liberals by this very act support the status quo.

I don't think Salient pretends to be unbiased. I think it is impossible to be unbiased. I see Salient as providing an alternative to the newspapers down town which white biased pretend to be impartial.

Wonaac, Ward & Jones

I was surprised to read about the confusion over the Wonaac motion at the last SRC, but I'd better clarify how it arose because I think it was partly my fault.

The motion was originally scheduled to come up at the SRC before the last one, and people, including myself, were there to support it. However it was put off until next time because the Middle-East debate (mainly) took up all the time available. Then it was decided to forget the whole thing as the tour was coming up so soon anyway. I think probably I should have made sure it was taken off the agenda instead of leaving it to others. As most Wonaac people, contrary to widely held beliefs, are working women and not bourgeois intellectuals, we can't all be around for every SRC meeting.

I'm not sure what the cracks about Wonaac in Anthony's report are meant to imply, but I personally don't have too much sympathy with, supposedly 'pro-abortion' people who spend their time abusing people who at least get around to doing things like organising tours. I think this kind of attitude and political infighting usually just ends up stopping anything concrete from being done.

It's also a pity that the 'antis' didn't get a chance to air their views properly. The whole point of tours such as this one is that at least, the issues get discussed, and I find it herd to understand why the 'anti-abortion people' don't want this to happen anyway, if anyone went to throw blame around, I'd rather be blamed personally than let the occasion be used to smear Wonaac once again.

Reply to cockies plight

In reply to P.D.'s letter on the Cockies Plight. Firstly I would like to agree with him that many cockies have got it made pretty well and there is no question on whether they get things easy. However, I was not talking about these farmers in the article and I would like to make the following points. The first point he raises is that we all know statistics can be fiddled to argue better points of view. What rubbish! If statistics are complied by an organisation like the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, using the best materiel available, and the statistics all give the same basic results how can he make this allegation. Secondly, he gives himself away when he says he comes from a small country town and has worked on many farms. Of course if he has worked on many farms he has worked for the cockies who can afford to hire labour — and the number of those who can is getting smaller every day.

His next stupid generalisation, "the average NZ cockey is bone fucking lazy" is hardly worth answering, as most intelligent people concede we owe our standard of living to farmers. Sure, stock fall over banks as a result of no fences, but it must be recognised that some stock fall over banks because the hills are too steep for stock of certain breeds to stand on them. And if the farmer cannot afford fencing materials, how can he fence these areas off? Certainly scrub grows because of no control but you must remember my friend that it takes dollars to apply superphosphate or get scrub cut, for this Is usually a big Job. We are next told that the average cockey calls in a contractor as soon as he wants something done — great stuff especially if you've got dollars and cents. What about the farmers who have to shear their own sheep because it costs more to have contractor do it than the return it brings in.

I think if P.D. checked out how many cockles were in the class of 74 Falcons, colour TV and $20 per week beer pots he would find the number very small Indeed.

His second to lest point implies many farmers do not know much about running a farm. Wrong again. In spite of not receiving adequate returns farming Is about the only sector of our economy that has continually increased productivity except In 1969/70 (seepage 81 "Farming and Inflation") How could farmers do this if they did not know what they were up to?

P.D.'s final point about us really being in the shit if big companies did not control many farms cannot be proven either. Most farmers cherish their Independence and being told what to do by big firms often causes the farmer to take a very negative attitude, for any progress he makes is quickly swallowed up by these firms.

In reply to Anthony Ward's letter to Salient, I would like to point out that the diagram comparative incomes 1965-74 was an addition put In at the last minute for reasons of layout. I do not know what statistical source the graph was based on but I would say it is in pan a fair representation of income farmers have received. At present the wool market has again drastically dropped and although the new season has not yet started in NZ, the Australian Wool Commission spent $10 million in one day supporting the prices in one of their seasons opening sales. Of course statistics up to fairly recent time periods must be hypothetical in part but they are not in the realm of "pure speculation" as Anthony thinks in this case and he can verify this by going out and seeing some farmers and finding out what they are getting for their meat and wool.

Anthony claims the tables from the Institute are misleading in that they do not contain the effects of the last two years. I must disagree again. The information in the diagrams published from the Institute would be about the most up to date reliable information available as the source of this information was mainly tax returns. I ask Anthony Ward if he knows how far behind the Government Statistician is in its work? Anthony Ward must realise that when dealing with statistics you must weigh-up old factual data with timely hypothetical data.

His last point is about why farmers in to to oppose a scheme that will take a little uncertainty out of the situation. I take it Anthony was talking about the Wool Corporation and if so his claim is not true. There are many farmers who are for this scheme end even wool board members. I am not going to argue either for or against it but I suggest to Anthony Ward that he read this week's Interview with Brian Philpot for I feel he really doesn't know much about the "she'll be right" attitude many farmers have.

Tablet paranoia

An Interesting interview with Robert Put, in Salient No. 18, was welcomed. If there were more people displaying their reaction to injustice instead of disregarding that injustice, there would perhaps be less shit spread saying that the reaction expressing disapproval of the arrest of Khoo, is nothing more than an activist plot.

My disapproval and motivation to rise and write comes from an article, written by the editor in 'The Tablet' July 10.

John Kennedy asks "Have we had the full story?". He doubts it and in the circumstances so do I, However he then launches into an attack on the response to the Imprisonment of Khoo. The concern of students and others is written off as having '....the characterstic of a classic left-wing agitation, directed from Peking."

This sort of attitude is becoming an essential ingredient in 'The Tablet' and it appears that The National Catholic Weekly' is intent on furthering the paranoia that all demonstrations, with an obvious exception) are the platform for the communists. If "propaganda" can describe the publicity given in the Khoo case, then when Mr Kennedy says that a situation has "..arisen in which reasoned discussion is impossible," he has further created the same effect. Worthy of column comment?

Caf crudity

It would be preferable if a certain member of the Cafeteria Staff kept his personal comments and crude jokes to himself, instead of insulting and embarrassing people he doesn't even know.

There do happen to be some students in this university who do not enjoy certain types of remarks directed at them personally, and it would therefore be appreciated if he would keep his snide comments to himself in future!

Muldoon not Hitler

Your front page appraisal of Muldoon (July 17) was relatively well-reasoned and your assertions were supported in the main by quotations and examples. Too bad you couldn't sustain this approach until the end. As far as I can see, you blew it in the third-to-last paragraph. You wrote: "If Muldoon gets in as Prime Minister in 1975 we can look forward to history repeating itself as the Maori racial minority becomes openly and institutionally persecuted like the Jews were in Germany of the thirties."

Surety you don't believe that! Admittedly, it's hard to prove you wrong — the main problem with refuting predictions and extrapolations is the difficulty of proving the 'accuracy or otherwise of events yet to come. Yet I am convinced your reasoning is unsound.

Firstly, the oppression of Jews in Hitlerite Germany was the result of a number of social and economic factors far removed from those in this country. Ask any historian. Secondly, while Muldoon is certainly a right-winger, he Is not Hitler and New Zealand is not Germany. Neither is the National Party a consortium of tyrants and villains. On many social issues, the Labour Party proves itself to be more puritancial and reactionary than its counterpart. (Ask any homosexual, or dope-smoker, or film fan!).

Contrary to what you say, voters do not have "a duty....to keep National out of office." If the National Party is returned to power in 1975 or 1978 it will be because a great many New Zealanders wanted it back. There will be many reasons for this, including the rising rate of violent crime. Most voters are concerned about violence and aware of the disproportionate Polynesian contribution to it.

This concern will continue. It will hardly be palliated by editors labelling Muldoon and his minions racists, or trotting out the usual excuses for assaults by Islanders. In my book, Maoris are New Zealanders and many Islanders are not.

If an Immigrant cannot adapt to New Zealand conditions and fit peaceably into the nation's lifestyle, he has no right to come here, let alone to ask the New Zealand taxpayer to support his family. If an Islander is convicted of a serious offence against New Zealand law, why should he not be deported like any Irishman, Bolivian, Turk or Portuguese? After ell, if a New Zealander commits a crime in someone else's country, is he not treated similarly? It's a matter of common sense — and a matter of racial equality!

Irrelevant trash

It amazes me that some students find time to write irrelevent trash into your newspaper taking up space that should be reserved for serious comment and yet never find the time to become Involved in the very real task of running the affairs of the student union. We are all part of It but why do only a handful find time to attend meetings and vote on policy resolutions. Do all the others merely waste their time churning out shit like the 'acting sec. of the pink carnation club'. I wonder if such a person is aware of the Middle-East situation let alone to be able to offer any suggestions of solution.

International Food Fair

To all of you who contributed to such a great success we would tike to say thank you very much. A net proceed of about $220 is forwarded to the Intellectually Handicapped Children's Society.

Bum-numbing inactivity

Concert review criticised

How could your possibly print a "review" of Blood, Sweat and Tears concert by e guy what grooves on the likes of Dylan and Kristofferson, remembers Peggy Lee and whose IQ would be about the same as his decibel tolerance — around 10?

I realise it's great for the ego to be able to go to two successive concerts at the Town Hall and even greater to pull them apart, but this remnant of the Oldage Wasteland ought to put out to pasture.

Everyone realises that the acoustics of the Town Hall and deplorable, but that didn't stop two hours of Blood, Sweat and Tears rising a few of us to ecstasy.

Unfortunately 2ZM, advertised the concert in terms of the group's old songs. Therefore a middle-of-the-road audience filed in, thinking they were In for some pleasant, easy listening.

That's why the "reviewer" and his peers didn't know what had bit them when the group got into their first number — it was 'heavy' l And the audience sat mystified, unable, in their pre-conditioned state, to comprehend or appreciate a song they had never heard before. The applause was polite, not enthusiastic — until it came — a song they actually knew — ("So very happy"). Suddenly the people started thinking maybe that lead guitarist (I forget his name — is it really important?), is shit-hot and maybe Kenny Fisher has got an incredible voice.

The wrong people went to this concert, and this includes your "reviewer". It was heavier and better than Osibisa and those who dig this kind of music and didn't go — you really missed something.