Letters can be handed in at the letterbox just inside the Salient office or handed in to the editor personally. However if you wish to pay 4c postage then send your letters to PO Box 1347, Wellington. Letters should be double spaced and on one side of the paper only. We'll print just about anything you send in except we can't print libellous material.

Cruel Act

I am writing to complain about what I feel to be a most unpleasant and cruel act. Some people may realise that I work full-time on my Cultural Affairs portfolio and thus have not time to earn extra money. This means that I am very poor and cannot afford to waste or lose money. Scruples did not affect one person, however, who decided to steal my purse from my bag in the Executive workroom. The purse was left in the men's toilets across the corridor, emptied of my money, including some Australian money left in my keeping by a friend. The thief quickly changed this at our local BNZ branch into NZ notes, which was a mistake on his part, since this has made him a marked man. Anyway, I just wanted to voice my annoyance in this way in order to warn others who might happen to leave valuables where they might be stolen, which seems to be just about anywhere these days. I assume that someone wanted to mark the Mini Festival in a very material way and at the same time get back some of his Studass fees by nicking some of my Honorarium.

Barbarians at the Bavarian

As organiser of the Bavarian Beer Festival held during the recent mini festival I would like to make a few comments through the pages of your paper.

My thanks must be extended to all those who provided assistance; the office staff for selling tickets and producing the song sheets, the German Club for preparing the food, and to all those who helped with the distribution of the beer and the cleaning up of the substantial mess at the end.

I also believe that two apologies are in order. Firstly, to all those present for the unfortunate situation that arose about 9:30 when we ran out of beer. This was due to the fact that the second minitanker had a broken axle at the bottom of Bowen Street. Although the Lion Tavern informed us of this at 5 p.m. the tanker finally arrived at just after 10 p.m., some 5 hours later. Secondly, to those who would have liked the function to continue until its advertised end at midnight but through the actions of a few were denied this.

The band was engaged to play until about 12 but left at 11:15 as they became so pissed off with the amount of beer being thrown at them. Apart from this the thing that really pissed me off was that a certain section of those present persisted in throwing jugs of beer at each other. Leaving aside the fact that we had to mop it up, it seems to me to be a stupid and wasteful way of getting one's money's worth. I hope that should a similar function be held in the future that this type of behaviour will be somewhat curtailed.

Lectures No Help

Because we are not allowed to mention names we would like 'Salient' to look at the standard of lecturing in Maori 101 and 102. A lot of us are just sick and tired of sitting through 2 hour lectures and gaining nothing. Already there have been protests about the lecturer concerned. The lectures seem totally disorganised, the first hour is just waffle, the second hour hardly improves and is often cut short. All in all, it is a waste of time. Most of the understanding of the language we have has been gained through tutorials and work done in our own time.

If it's any indication of how bad it is, out of a starting class of approximately 100, about 46 passed terms. What happened to the other 60?

As we mentioned before we would like you to look into it and see what you can do. Other people have already seen the Department but nothing has changed.

Chess Players - Read This

Otago University Chess Club has issued a challenge which quite predictably your University has been too terrified to reply to. During the August break we are holding a massive Chess Tournament in Dunedin which will once again prove the natural superiority of Otago University. Prize money of $250 is being offered but this seems a waste of time as no opposition is worthy of Otago's ability. Invitations have been sent to all Universities but not one North Island team has the courage to come down. This seems to be further proof that Otago is the centre of intellect in New Zealand.

We fully understand your chess club's embarassment - the certainty of defeat. Even so, we welcome you to send a team and we will hire out shoulders for them to cry on. Your Student Association should pay the team's fares down but they too may be ashamed of their University (with good reason).

Don't worry about sending a second rate team, after all you are a third rate University. Please try to send a team down. Give them a chance to see real chess players in action.

As we are providing accomodation of a standard which you in Wellington will never understand-we will expect the team to at least try to match some of Otago's social standards, i.e., learn to hold your hard liquor - which for Wellington is one glass of lemonade.

Finally, one last proverb which your team should learn if they are brave enough to come. It's not the losing that counts, it's how you lose.

We call on your university to send a team if it dares! If we don't receive a reply by the last day in July we will know that your inferiority complex has become too great for you.

However one may look at it, Malaysia's problem may be one of a class or racial nature. Personally I prefer the latter.

The phrase "racial problem" conjures at once an image not unsimilar to that in the states or South Africa. That general concept however, is quite out of place in Malaysia.

The problem as I believe, is the unequal representation of races in our capitalist society. I have not used the word 'commercial' because of the great numbers of non-Malays, particularly the Chinese, are engaged in the non-commercial, specialist fields such as that of medicine, engineering, dentistry pharmacology and so on. The inability or rather the lack of Malays in these commercial and non-commercial private sectors is more or less the root cause of the racial tension, but certainly one aggravated by the inept existing government. The down-to-earth reason why the Malays have not attempted to partake in these fields, I am not qualified to say. But this I can say, the unremedied racial inequality plus inept government plus Malay military, police and political monopoly is a highly explosive mix. The inevitable I fear can only be another Chinese massacre, a la May 13, if something is not done. Can the government truthfully deny that the greater part of the Malays in Universities and Colleges are still toeing the Arts line? Can they honestly say that they have not actually helped the Malays to be on a par with the non-Malays in the competitive modern capitalist society? The nationalistic pride and feelings of the Malays have been but temporarily satisfied to keeps some crazy radicals in power-There is no new improvement. How can one be as blind and as week and close one's eyes to reality.

Malay 'middle man' in the commercial sector; to name a few, is antagonising to the non-Malays and the general feeling is one of social injustice. That is already in addition to exclusion in political and other public sectors participation. It is right to help the Malays, but the present policies of the government is not only clumsy, short-sighted and openly biased but tentative to culminate into another violent situation. Have not the communistic policies of the government been reflected in the last election? The majority of the Chinese voted for DAP. The Alliance Party no longer realistically represents the multiracial society it so often claims. MCA is effete, a mere puppet of the UMNO radicals influenced by the Alliance Party. Malayanisation is but a diversion from the true issues of unequal racial representation. It is inconsistent and highly dangerous to contradict existing acceptance and realities. The Malays are not being helped to realise their underlying potential

These I believe then are the real issues. The fundamental problem - unequal representation of Malays in all sectors through their own ability and intelligence. The immediate problem -generally incompetent, scrupulous, racialistic, feudalistic and corrupt government in the field of administration.

I do not quite agree that the problem is greatly one of class as so often suggested. The defective leadership directly accounts for the class problem and statistics show that the very rich forms a small of the Malaysian social class. To define the problem as such implies tacitly, communism is invariably the solution. The breathing space afforded by American intervention in Vietnam has sought to ensure that Malaysia is and remains a capitalist country. That being so, I am resigned to the fact that capitalism is here to stay. We must not also forget the other present reality. The Malays are strongly anti-Communist and it's a bit ironic as I see that Communism could only benefit the Malays the most.

So unless and until a better government is in rule, why is Malaysia so far behind Singapore? Does she not have the potential in abundance to out-perform Singapore? What are the causes of this lack of dynamism in transforming the economic bases of Malaysia?

Clearly the answers lie at the top. The leadership factor is the most crucial in developing countries. This deception of Malays and antagonising the non-Malays cannot go on forever. Should we leave history to speak for us? Then again, maybe we had better make history instead?

Intellectual Tete a tete

Well, well, well, Dante Z. Rossetti got another letter accepted for publication!

It's my opinion that this "potentate of the poisoned pen" be put down like some syphilitic cur. Even so, I've no inclination to enter into his long-standing feud with A.T. Tennyson. The vendetta, instigated by Tennyson, represents the upshot of a contretemps over some scarlet woman, and it mars the pages of many a periodical to this day. The screes of venom and vituperation would amount to a sizeable volume now, and we are in little need of a post script.

None the less, Rossetti squeezes it in, amongst his myriad allegations, one which needs immediate qualification. It concerns the perennial wrangle over the English genius (one of Tennyson's less attractive idees fixees) and whether it is Tennyson of Mr Bulwer Lytton who wears this singular mantle. As we know, Mr Rossetti champions Mr Lytton with embarassing avidity. Lytton's position needle elucidation in order to present a proper picture.

Now, I was lunching with Lytton on a Friday. The argument snuck in, surreptitiously (Conversational gambits are not my forte, and I introduced it this: 'You're getting a lot of exposure again'). Lytton, who never wanted any part of the arid altercation, said 'yes', a statement masking the real talent for words which the ex-Corpus Christian possesses.

However, over the lobster bisque (mine was a pate a froid, which requires less toilet training) Lytton ranged out.

'I used to sympathise with Trade Unions', said the sartorially resplendent ex-Magdllen man.

'It takes more than that', said I, precipitating a globule of murky saliva.

I suppose not', said Lytton, balding and queasy.

When the former Balliol. Blue got into the Boeuf Belmont (mine was a car nap a I'orange) no resolution of the dilemma was in sight.

'You were wasted in Arabia', I preferred.

'Maybe', growled Lytton, 74 and stout from certain angles.

After the crepes aux Marrons Glaces (the recipe for which is in Robert Carrier), we went round to Bertrand Russell's, sommulent and sage as ever, he was in the middle of a peach flan (Betty Crocker). Bidding us welcome with a smile that bisected the monumental brow, the man who brought the Vienna Circle to England (Margucritc Patton) looked well. We sat down and essayed the philosopher with the problem.

When a copy of your last issue was produced - for the purposes of material substantiation - Russel was immediately arrested by Peter Ivory's article on abortion. It amused the old sage. On completion of the essay, Russell quivered with mirth and quipped.

Tell you what, the OED's not watching current language use.

'Abuse', said Lytton, squirming and looking younger.

'Whatever' said Russell, producing the incision which made positivism a joke.

I mentioned that the article was beyond me. This is true.

'It is not beyond a philosopher' interjected Lytton, 48 and alive.

'Au contraire', countered Russell (lapsing into his other tongue). Philosophers and for that matter women, would never get to grips with it.'

'Why not?' I quizzed soberly.

'Because philosophically it's bullshit when it's not jargon: abortion-wise it's meaningless when it's not irrelevant'.

'What do you mean?' cried Lytton, hitting his stride and 37.

'Emotion is not a matter of words, let alone verbal argument,' said Russell.

'Shit', said Lytton by way of exclamation rather than rejoinder. And with those words. Lytton's involvement in the English Genius Argument was over. Lytton is no pretender to the crown.

This puts the record straight. But I must, as Tennyson and Rossetti, disassociate myself from a number of things: namely, ethical rumination, piano-johnnies, the objective correlate and, come to that, T.S. Eliot and the 'New Criticism'!

The Feslier Bind

Each year I believe it is the duty of the Publication's Board Chairman to arrange for the binding of the past year's issues of Salient into a book. This book is of use to several libraries and to past staff members (who pay for this momento). I believe it is normal for this binding to be done in the first half of the year. Has it been done, or has Feslier Fizzled again?

Laying it on the line

Unlike our venerable Sports Officer I was not disgusted but in fact pleasantly surprised by the final lecture in Accy 301.

For too long lecturers around this place have been subjecting us to, indirectly and more importantly, political beliefs. The Commerce Faculty is riddled with this sort of teaching.

At long last we have a lecturer who is prepared to lay his prejudices on the line and thereby let us attempt to sort the fact from the fiction in the rest of his lectures. Long may it continue.

Would-be Student Writes

Indeed a certain young man whom I will choose not to name (for reasons regarding his own safety) who originally had been so helpful as to inform me of the newly instituted Extended vacation period' strangely enough was nowhere to be found either in, such common haunts as Sociology, Shakespeare or SASRAC Tis but a sad state of if fairs.

[Hamlet]

Oh for a student in the Cafe with integrity!

Criticising the Critic

Could you please tell me what the hell your record critic ('spose ev'ryone's gotta have some title) thought he/she/it was doing in that review of Silk Torpedo last week? One thing I like to find out from reviews is whether the bloke liked the record or not. Apparendy that's too much to ask of Peter Simons. I'm not trying to be nasty or anything — perhaps the whole thing was just too much for me, but could stuff like this please be improved on in the future?

There was a record out a while back now which complained about pretty things driving people insane. Peter Simons comes a close second.

Nothing Like Classical Music Done Proper!

To the well-known ELP Freak.

ELP's version of "Pictures at an exhibition" by Mussorgsky was unfortunately marred by the 6 or 7 minutes load of crap at the end of each side.

This piece of music was originally written for piano as a tribute to a painter who was a friend of Mussorgsky's. This has been transcribed to orchestra by several composers since, notably Rave, whose version is played today.

Notive Ravel did not change the tune, which ELP have done in places; also notice that he didn't stick in other crap unnecessary to the perpetrating of one of the most colourful orchestral pieces ever written.

Notice that Mussorgsky-Ravel's version will survive while Mussorgsky-ELP's version will die. Indeed when I bought the ELP version it was going at $3.99 - proof that it couldn't sell.

I suggest to the ELP freak that he listen to a marvelous recording of Mussorgsky-Ravel's "Pictures at an Exhibition" on DCC 139 010. This terrific recording is made by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Karajan.

Back to ELP. This recording of "Pictures" was unfortunately marred by the large amount of of jarring that ELP are notorious for, especially on the live triple LP.

Back to the Classics!

Long live free enterprise!

Lane Replies

Your petulant outrage in Salient 17 (see article "Intercontinental Arrogance", page 4) does nothing but bear out the truth in the letter of mine you printed from Intercontinental Press. When you reprinted the Israel Shahak interview I was pleasantly surprised, as on other occasions this year you have displayed a narrow-mindedness peculiar to followers of Mao in refusing to print articles that presented the views of your political opponents on the left. For arrogance, your disinterest in Black feminist and socialist Nan Bailey takes the prize.

Nan's meeting was one of the largest political meetings on campus this year, outside of Muldoon's meeting, yet you were not intersted in printing anything of her visit. One of the more absurd reasons given was your false claim, that "the Young Socialists doesn't support the PRG (Provisional Revolutionary Government of Vietnam)". To see that this petty and apolitical attitude (that anything of Trotskyist origin doesn't interest you) was not extended to the Shahak interview was gatifying.

Recently, in the Letters to the Editor column in Salient, there have been several letters relating to the Socialist Action Election Campaign. Here Bruce, is your opportunity to show that this narrow-minded attitude of the past has come to an end. Take up our offer and interview one of the candidates so students can find out more about this campaign. You could find yourself again printing "an excellent interview",

(I asked a simple question of Tony Lane in the last issue of Salient. I asked him if he supported the PLO in their struggle for national liberation. Apparently he has chosen to ignore that question. The rest of his letter is a pretentious complaint that I have given too little free publicity to the Socialist Action League in the past and could I please rectify this and interview one of their election candidates.

May be I will.

I feel it necessary to comment on Tony Lane's many other statements.

Nan Bailey did in fact get a large meeting — she also got a remarkably negative response in a following SRC when students were asked to help subsidise her visit. She was called variously 'just a liberal' and a 'nobody', students felt that they had been conned. I felt no need to report her meeting as a result.

On the false claim' that they do not support the PRG. The PRCs political line is based on the theory of a two stage revolution. Trotskyites do not accept this but believe that the PRG should should have fought for a socialist revolution. If you can oppose the major tenner of the PRC's political line and still support them then the Trotskyites support the PRG. Personally. I believe that the Troskyites who have continually made reference to various sellouts of the Vietnamese revolution perpetuated by the Stalinist leadership headed by Ho Chi Minh never transfered their opposition to American imperialism 'Out Now' to a genuine support of the Vietnamese forces fighting that imperialism.

And if you need any further indication of the reactionary arrogance of the SAL then try and and think of how many people apart from Tony Lane who use their own writings as sources for quotations. — Ed.)

Uneasy at ethical relativism

Articles propounding ethical relativism always make me feel uneasy. I am referring to Peter Ivory's reasoned piece in Salient July 2 1975 which in his own words is pushing 'the absolute priority of rational discussion in ethics' rather than intentionally arguing for an ethical relativism.' I would refer him to Bertrand Russell who in his Philosophy of Logical Atomism p. 32 makes the point that the practice of philosophical analysis is highly respectable in that the results of correct analysis are undeniable. The question is however, what on earth does one do with the results of correct analysis?

My point in mentioning all that is to say that it is pointless analysing something in the world out of its context of relationship with other things. It is simply wrong to think one can use the conclusions of a particular analysis as premises in a moral argument the span of which exceeds the limits of the analysis. In other words it is not good enough to say that abortion is justifiable according to some systems and unjustifiable according to others and then to say that the State should take a view that ranges over the diversity of moral views. This course of action is oblivious to the real incompatibilities that invariably exist between those different systems. I suspect that the philosopher who leaves the argument there simply lacks the stamina or the ability to follow the reasoning process to the very end of the line and relate things on the widest scale. The solution is often labelled liberal its expedience passing for tolerance.

I do not believe that the number of purely verbal disputes is as great as Peter Ivory would have us believe. If he can actually show that the issues on the opposing sides of the abortion debate are simply verbal disputes, i.e. that there really are no common areas for substantial argument then his case is made. Until he shows that, his thesis is interesting, but unproved.

Defending Israel

"B,M.H." will have to try harder if he wants to prove that Zionism is "colonialism and territorial expansion and racism" than simply quoting Moshe Dayan as rejecting the idea of absorbing huge numbers of Arabs into Israel, and as wanting to maintain a primarily Jewish state. The quote would more easily imply that he, like most Israelis, would consider giving back territory containing large Arab populations in return for firm guarantees for peace. Regrettably, there has been absolutely no indication that any Arab state, let alone the P.L.O., is prepared to do this.

It is high time the P.LO.'s apologists knew exactly the type of reactionary ideology they are supporting. For starters I could suggest their reading Y' Harkabi's "Arab Attitudes to Israel" and John La Laffin's new book "The Arab Mind".

Justifying the Closure of the Remuera Clinic

Anthony Ward, in criticising my letter of June 20th, raised two points. Firstly, he claimed that one major presumption of my letter was that the Remuera Clinic has broken and is continuing to break the law. However, my argument, very broadly speaking, was that the existing law on abortion was justified, that public and approved private hospitals a one could easily cope with legal abortions and perform them cheaply, and that Dr. Wall's Bill was therefore justified in restricting the performance of legal abortions to such hospitals so as to make it more difficult to break the existing law. In order, therefore, to make illegal abortions more difficult, the Bill is Right in closing the Remuera Clinic whether it has broken, or is breaking the present law or not.

Secondly, he quoted my statement, 'If the purpose of society is to provide support to and acceptance of each of its members....' and then said that Society at the moment does not have this as its highest goal, but the making of profits for a small and increasingly foreign elite.' Assuming that this is true, it still has nothing to do with what the purpose of society is, but may simply mean that it is not fulfilling its purpose.

He then went on to imply that a just and humane society is a socialist society. I would think that the reason why he says this is because he believes that this is the one in which everyone is accepted and supported by the community, and no-one is therefore treated unjustly by having his worth and dignity as a human being denied him. It was my argument in my previous letter that since this is what a just and humane society demands, then, whether it is socialist or otherwise, the right to be born and accepted should not be denied, except to preserve the mother's life.

Editor Can't Change Approach

The letter published in your last issue from the former Publications Board typist was as inaccurate as the copy she produced while employed by the Board.

It is however not my intention to detail the errors of fact and emphasis either she or the person writing in support of her make. Such matters are internal, industrial concerns that have no place in the columns of any newspaper.

Your treatment of the letters, however, does warrant some response.

In replying to the criticisms made of you in the letters without giving me the opportunity to do so at the same time, you succeeded in what was apparently your intention - to transform me into the bete noire of Association Publications.

It is exactly the attitude of pointless and personal animosity which was reflected in your replies which led to my decision to resign.

Unfortunately you can do little to change your basic approach to people. I would suggest though, that through the remainder of the year, you attempt to maintain at least a pretence of editorial integrity

(You are right. Editorial integrity requires that I treat this letter as beneath contempt. I will By the way, it is my policy that only the editor may reply to letters in the same issue - and then only if it comments upon the editor or editorial direction of the paper. Also it has been my policy to publish all signed, non defamatory letters regardless of content. -Ed.)

Malaysian Starvation Real

The arguments put forward by our Christian freak in the letter "For God and Government" is far too absurd.

He said there were no deaths from hunger, only people dying because they ate poison roots. I would like to remind him that people ate poison roots because they couldn't afford rice. According to the State Assemblyman from Baling, when he visited the home of one victim's family, he did not find a single grain of rice there.

If this is a piece of propaganda, I'm afraid it's far too real to be one.