DISLOYALTY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17247, 10 September 1921, Page 10

DISLOYALTY.

UNFOUNDED ALLEGATIONS.

WELLINGTON TRAINING COLLEGE ENQUIRY. (PRESS association telegram.) WELLINGTON, September 9. Mr Forsyth, chairman of the Wellington Education Board, has forwarded the Minister a report on the enquiry held at the Training College against certain students arising out of their .attendance at the Magistrate's Court when Miss Weitzel was convicted of circulating literature encouraging violence and lawlessness. The report states that those present at the enquiry were the Director of Education (Mr J. Caugihley), Mr Forsyth (chairman of the Board), Mr White (a member of the Board), Mr Stewart (secretary), Mr Gould (viceprincipal of the Training College), Miss Hetherington (assistant lectuter), and Mr Kennedy (president of the (Students' Association). In view of the

• fact that full publicity had been given to the charges made against theni, the students and staff (had expressed a desire for a public enquiry. Prior to the opening ot the enquiry I read to the officers of the College and the president of the Students' Association your telegram of September Bth, in which you asked that, "merely a departmental investigation" be made. The president of .the Students' Association had the .position fully explained to him, and was asked to ascertain from the seventeen students concerned whether they desired the enquiry to be held in public or otherwise. After consultation, they decided, in deference to your request, and provided that a full report of the investigation was supplied to the Press, that the enquiry should not be public. I agreed to give full publicity to my report. It was decided, by mutual consent, to confine the investigation to the tlhiee points contained in the letter of the Director of Education of August 29th, which read as follows: (1) A statement from girl students referred to, indicating whether their attendance at the Court and the fact that they towards the payment of the fine were evidence of tneir approval and support of Miss Weitafel in the offenoe with, which she was charged. (2) Whether the students in general were aware of the circulation of any literature referred to among the students of the College. (3) Whether there was reason to believe that, either at the Training College or during the attendance at Victoria College of Training Students, in? fluenoes of tttie type exerted by Miss Weitzel are operating in relation to the students. The president nnd officers of the Students' Association and the seventeen women students who attended the Court when Miss Weitzel was convicted were examined and cross-questioned on the points, and after a full enquiry 1 have to report my finding of the whole changes aa follows: . (1) The .students attended the Court merely oufi of or personal sympathy witJh the individual charged, but specifically and, individually thev deny approval or support of Miss Weitzel in the offence of wnich she was convicted.

(2) None of the students was aware of the circulation of any unlawful literature at the Training College or Victoria College. (3) All the seventeen students concerned, who are also students of Victoria College, stated that so far as they knew Mias Weitzel never tried to influence any student at either College to aoecpt the political and social principles dhe nad adopted. Further, absolutely no reference ever was made by tfiem iu the manner suggested. Some of tho students had never spoken to Miss Weitzel, and until the neo&nt proceedings a number of them were unaware of the views she holds. (4) None of the studenta ever had been _ asked, and certainly none had contributed anythipg towards the payment of the fine. I desire to add_ tJhe following statement:; In my opinion far too much prominence, has Deen given to the ■charges made against the ptudents, which, after all, were based solely- on an ex parte statement by a police officer, in which fact and illicit inference were strangely mingled, and from, the evidence which was nut Word i. 1 and frankly by the students, and subcequently confirmed by tlie oi the framing College. who were also present during the Court proceedings, it is clearly established that tiie charges are absolutely baseless and devoid of truth. rhe .unnecessary circulation through the. Pre3s of <?uch mischievous rumours before the slightest investigation 'nan been made is to be regretted. Irreparabfe haa thus been done to the Training College. The higc moral tone and the undoubted loyalty of the students of the Training College evide P t . **>» who visited) the College, and its war record M none ia M Dominion. i J °f the report is entv . r^Port the vice-principal tnalh? I iu" 5 which is virtually on the same lines. It also em--SZSEVS 8 }° y i\ of/the and women students of that institution.