Students' Association Attitude To Election

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31669, 3 May 1968, Page 10

Students ' Association Attitude To Election

The University of Canterbury Students’ Association would not conduct a campaign to unseat critics of the students’ newspaper, ‘'Canta," the vice-president of the association (Mr R. J. Caird) said yesterday. Commenting on a report in “The Press” yesterday which Mid that a group of students intended to campaign against the graduate representatives on the University CouncilMr D. W. Bain and Mr J. N. Matson—in the next election, Mr Caird said that any action taken by the association Would be according to democratic principles and in line with past policy. The association was concerned that the report could be construed as implying has;y and irresponsible action by the association in this matter. “It must be understood that the unnamed group referred to in the article—if in fact it exists—can in no way be regarded as officially repreaenting this association,” he said. “The association certainly does not object to council interest in its affairs provided that this takes the form of sympathetic cognisance of pre-sent-day student attitudes and recognition of the rights and responsibility of students in the management of their own affairs.” The editor of “Canta" (Mr W. Gruar), said the ambiguity and distortion of fact in the report did not become a

newspaper of the standing of “The Press.” “We of ‘Canta’ would never agitate against a critic of our newspaper as your headline suggests and further do not consider Mr Bain worthy of such attention. “We have been aware of the election for aome time. Mr A. J. Simpson, a graduate of Canterbury, decided to stand for election against Messrs Bain and Matson some time ago, and your article casts some aspersion on the serious nature of his campaign,” he said.