Burbling Babes

(The Editor, "Smad.")

I had the misfortune to hear during annual meeting of the Haeremai Club last week a most amazing exhibition of presumption on the part of a small but self-confident section of our College. The section of Victoria College's students that lives at Weir House had what can only be called the impertinence to say in this public meeting that their opinion was representative of the opinion of the University as a whole, and not only did they do this, this handful of freshers and second-year students who apparently suffer from distinctly swollen heads, but they actually proposed a motion of censure on the president of the Haeremai Club, Mr. R. K. Keating, for expressing the contrary opinion. The fact, that out of the eight hundred or so students at V.U.C. only about ninety live at Weir House, shows how rankly absurd is their contention that they could be representative of Victoria College opinion. On what ground do they claim to be representative?

The fact, sir, that they were visited by two members of the Students' Association Executive, that they took off their hats to their age, their appearance, and their oratory, that they bowed to their wisdom, and decided to act as they did is deplorable; but it is their concern. Their action, however, in making fantastic claimsto superiority over the rest of the students for no reason except that they happen to live in Weir House, is very definitely the concern of the college; while their attitude towards Mr. Keating, if it were notpalpably absurd in its arrogant childishness would be positively offensive.

I repeat, sir, that the fault in the first place, as regards the passing of the motion, lay with Mr. Wild and Mr. Bradshaw, as the innocent young things at Weir House could not be expected to see further than the ends of their noses. But I do not believe that the responsible students of the College wil tolerate for one moment the froward presumption and the downright discourtesy of these youngsters.

I have no wish, Sir, tobecome abusive, but I could notrestrain myself from writing to express my disgust, a feelingwhich, I think, is shared by all the older members who were present at the meeting of the Haeremai Club, at the effrontery and presumption of the members of Weir House.