POINTS FROM LETTERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 18

POINTS FROM LETTERS.

AN OPEN FORUM. I am inclined to think the remarks of "Civilian" re "An Open Forum" would have been rather more civil had lie been signing his name to them. And when I tell him I, intermittently, attended an "Open Forum" between the years 1887 i and 1901, that never had a party bias,! never was under the control of any political machine, and is, I believe, still running, he may recognise I am not I quite so ignorant of this matter as he j thought. 1 have not a vestige of know- I ledge of the particular forum lie refers to, but my general knowledge leads me to judge the conditions that might have been interpreted quite differently by that section he alludes to as having a party bias, ' and representing the political machine. They may say: "The views we stood for proved to be the more sound, and we were left in possession, or it was broken up because those who started it found it not only did not have the effect they had hoped for, but had the opposite effect." An "open" forum can never be captured by a. political machine, for there is not really anything to capture. Allow me to describe the one I had in view. Those interested assemble, and somebody rises and moves that Mr. takes the chair. | The chairman calls for someone to open the debate. He who volunteers is allowed twenty minute* to outline his case, after which any person may occupy ten minutes in approving, modifying or criticising. Those who follow may refer to anything a previous speaker has said, and the chairman has ruled was relative to the matter under discussjon. When all inclined to con-, tiibute seem to have done so, the chairman calls upon the opener to reply, within the space of a further twenty minutes. The debates of the forum I attended took place every day from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., excepting on Sundays, when they finished at 10 p.m. Intervals between the debates were allowed for those to leave who wished to do so, for newcomers to take their places, and for relaxation for those feeling the need. In the meantime soft-footed waiters moved about supplying light refreshments —sandwiches, wine, spirits, beer, tea and coffee. Coffee was the favourite j drink. It was a sound and useful busi- j ness, visited more or less, by all publicists, men and women. To-day, if it really is still going, I should say tliev j will be discussing "Dictatorships," , "Unemployment," "The League of, Nations," "ISooms and Depressions," "Tariffs and Free Trade," "Social Credit," "Birth Control," "Internationalism v. Nationalism," "Free Speech," j whilst Socialism, Communism, Rationalism, Bolshevism and Fascism would, of course, be -discussed- from every angle, , in accord with their comparative importance. I would like to hear the view

of the councillors concerned respecting the revision of by-law 14, section i, before I could agree that they had no option biJt to make that revision, for I have some recollection that the Free Speech Council was in existence for quite a long time whilst the old council was in oflice, and the old council did not yield to that overwhelming fact. W. SCOTT.