Editorial Comment by Salient Co-Editor, Hugh Rennie.

At a time when groups of students call for action, boycott protest, Salient has been under pressure; from several quarters to make endorsements or statements of policy. We have thought it more important to try and present what other students think, not what we think ourselves.

In this special issue are accounts of two actions already taken, an executive meeting and a "non-demonstration". Also printed are the exact texts of the SGM requisition motion and the Executive motion. Students seeking a full, unbiased, background before attending tonight's meeting should find it here.

However, there are certain points which I personally wish to make here as editorial comment:

Students are confronted by five national universith issues and several local ones. It is not possible to judge these issues without a prior personal decision on what a New Zealand university is. You must decide whether students go to university as a right or as a privilege.

The basic assumption of one section of New Zealand educational thinking is that equality of educational opportunity must be available to all students at all levels of education. This assumption arose round about the turn of the century and is a strong force in public thought today.

If you accept this, then exclusion of students for any reason except marked academic failure is repugnant. If you accept it, your concern is for the following issues:

Fees : Now present an economic barrier to full-time students who have lost or are not entitled to a bursary. (Economic exclusion).

Accommodation : Government subsidies but not grants are available for the construction of hostels only. No money is available for running expenses, nor for any other form of accommodation. (Economic exclusion).

Buildings : Lack of study and teaching space forces exclusion of students for whom there are no facilities in the interests of others. This situation is in immediate prospect - e.g. Auckland, where the Council expects the forced exclusion of 600 students in two years time (Evening Post, Wednesday, 17th March). (Exclusion by inadequacy).

Bursaries : Existing bursaries are meagre and many anomalies exist. For example students living in an urban area cannot receive boarding allowances even if transport difficulties force them to live away from home. (Economic exclusion).

Staff : University staff salaries and staff ratios make it difficult to obtain staff and harder to keep them. This leads to "intellectual exclusion" of students.

The university students' associations have been concerned at the implications of these issues. They have sought higher bursaries, assistance in accommodation, competitive staff salaries, reduction or abolition of fees. All normal channels have been tried - With Total Failure.

If You Believe In These Aims, You Can Do Three Things

1.	Give up and resign yourself to the present situation.
2.	Vote tonight for a boycott and stay away on the day.
3.	Vote tonight for a boycott and actively work to create such public interest and sympathy as will thrown the chilling fear of coming defeat into the government.

If you choose 2 or 3, if you accept that reason has failed and only non-violent militancy remains, then there will still be hope for New Zealand's universities.