ALLEGED PROPAGANDA

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 17, 20 January 1921, Page 8

ALLEGED PROPAGANDA

WORKERS'" EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION

FURTHER DISCUSSED BY THE

SENATE

A COMMITTEE APPOINTED

Replying to criticism in the Senate of the- University of New Zealand yesterday afternoon on the subject of propaganda in the Workers' Educational As-, sociation, the Chancellor (Sir Robert Stont) referred to tlie tutor in question in Canterbury who was reported to be a propagandist. According to the chairman of the Canterbury College Council, this tutor had given an undertaking that he would not express his own opinions to the students on the economic-question. Afterwards a statement was made to the effect that the tutor refuged to be restricted. Sir Robert quoted from a pamphlet the following words attributed to the tutor in reference to British politics : All this legalised robbery (taxation) at Home has its counterpart here, and is a mighty factor in the production of poverty. What must we do to stop it? We ■ must take the machinery of government out of the hands of the robbers. We mußt cease sending them to Parliament. We must transfer from private to public hands the business of producing and distributing the necessities of life. . . .■ We must replace competition by co-operation. "It is perfectly plain what he means," said the Chancellory "It is the revolutionary programme—namely, that all property is to be seized and. utilised by the State; that there is to be no such" thing as private property in lands, houses, or "buildings, and that everything is to be distributed by the-State. That is revolutionary communism. He further says: 'We (that is, the Baptists) have not shrunk from shedding our blood in sacrifice. . . .' What does that mean? If that is not an implication that there is to be revolution, and a bloody revolution, I don't know what is." Mr. H. F. yon Haast asked if the tutor did not say the change was to be brought about by votes and not b.y revolution. The Chancellor: All he says is: "Votes alone- can deal, with them—that is, the robbers. -Politicians ■ laugh at prayers, but they tremble at votes." What is the meaning of " shedding blood " Professor Hunter: "Make sacrifices." Professor Macmillan Brown : "Do you shed blood in the elections?" ■ ' ■ The Chancellor added that such teaching as that contained in the pamphlet was simply to . encourage sedition and destroy the property of the Dominion. The Senate had to see that the University funds were properly applied, and that Government money was not used for propaganda purposes. Bundles of printed papers were brought into New Zealand out of money given by Bolsheviks to encourage Bolshevism' in this country. If the Senate approved of such teaching, how was it going to object to any other class of propaganda? Surely there were scores,of competent teachers to be secured here and in the Old Country without allowing this sort of thing to go on. The responsibility rested on the Senate. * Professor J. MaoMillan Brown, ViesChancellor, moved in the, Senate this morning :— '■ "That a committee be appointed to, examine into the working of the Workers' Educational Association in the various centres and the application of the grant that, the Senate administers." The Senate, he said, did not appear to, realise fully its, responsibility for the administration of the finance of the Workers' Educational Association. His own impression was that from experience, the classes were not altogether the element it was desired to reach. In one case there did not seem-to be any working *ien at all. There was a tendency for the classes to become audiences for populaT lectures. The Senate did'not rid' itself 1 of responsibility by handing .over the administration to the university colleges. He had been a little bit doubtful whether it was really a Workers' Educational Association as outlined by Mr. Meredith Atkinson when he was here last. The Senate ought to ascertain whether the work was being done, and he suggested a permanent committee. Certain rules should be laid down for the qualifications of tutors. With regard to propaganda, he confessed to a certain uneasiness, and he thought they ought to see that the teaching was genuine and not propaganda. He believed that teachers should have ideas, but they should be of a lofty kind. ■ The' Senate, in a sense, was the guardian of the teaching. He doubted whether they should allow any propaganda at all. ■They ought to see that the Workers' Educational Association was properly conducted.

Mr. H. F. yon Haast seconded Professor Hunter said he would move an amendment :— .

"That a committee be appointed to examine into the use "which the colleges are making of the 'grants made by the university to the college out of the Endowment Fund."

Professor Macmillan Brown said ho was willing to accept the amendment. Professor Hunter pointed out that all that was alleged against the W.E.A. was the appointment of one tutor in Canterbury. The statements made had done the whole movement great harm. 'There was no criticism about the Victoria College branch of the work with 23 classes in the district. Auckland had a large number of classes, and so had Otago. The whole of the Workers' Educational Association had been judged by a difficulty in regard to the appointment o£ .one tutor in Canterbury. Was that a proper thing for an educational body to be doing? Personally he had been president for a number of years, .and all he could say about Professor Macmillan Brown's remarks about the W.E.A. was that they were simply farcical. The work done in New Zealand was referred to with approval by the English W.E.A. The figures in New Zealand were better than in New South .Wales, where much more money was provided. The speaker illustrated the difficulties jinder which the movement had progressed in New Zealand. It had been started during 1915, and had to carry on through the war period when there'was great lack of continuity in classes.' Some members (if the Senate appeared not to realise these things. • ' .. Professor Hunter said members were apparently not aware that the W.E.A. was only one item on which the funds were expended. At Victoria College there, was also the Macarthy Chair of Economics. The W.E.A. was only one particular line. Professor Macmillan . Brown : "Xhe lino we know least about." HARM DONE TO WORK. .Professor Hunter said the movement had suffered tremendously by these discussions. There was nothing the absolute extremists section throughout the length and breadth. of New Zealand would welcome so much as the remarks by the Chancellor in his speech and tho Vice-Chancellor. The W.E.A. had had the greatest difficulty in making it perfectly clear to the worker that theve wag no propaganda about the movement. (Hear, hear.) 1 _ Professor Hunter said the other section of the community was equally

anxious that they should not he exposed to propaganda in the interest of a certain type of economist. The greatest difficulty was to ti» to convince' the people that the promoters of the movement intended only that the subject should be dealt with in an educational manner. Fop this reason, the W.E.A. insisted that one hoxir should be given at each class for discussion, so that the members of the class might question the tutor. Under those conditions, was it fair to suggest that the colleges and the W.E.A. were carrying on a propaganda of a type specified by the Chancellor? That was the irafpTessicn the public would get. from the newspapers. "WE TOLD YOU SO."-,' They had tried to convince the workers, he said, that they would get a. fair deal, and now the extremists would turn round and say, "We told you so." If a. man honestly held the Marxian theory he was not to be allowed to te;ich. Tho Marxian theory was the Labour theory held by Adam Smith .and lliceardo, who did not,, however, work the ideas out. "I don't agree with the theory myself, in my own little private opinion," added: the speaker. The assumption was that a man who': held the Labour theory of value, should not hold a university chair. Yet there were hundreds and thousands of people who believed in the Labour theory; what would they say to an institution of the kind which would not explain it ? What had happened in Australia and America ? The Labour Party would Bay that the universities taught a definite type of propaganda, a particular type of economic doctrine;'they would not give the worker a chance of 'expressing his own opinion tin economic doctrine. The result would be Labour colleges.

Mr. von-Haas*:. "That is what we see already." Professor Hunter said he did not think if? fair for people to damn what-had become a big institution in New Zealand because of a complaint about one tutor. The Chancellor said he would' adhere to his .printed statement, and from <hat he would not vary a single letter. Professor Hunter declared that what had been said had done the classes incalculable harm; he doubted whether they would, survive the blow. It was true that some of the classes in' the big centres were not as successful as they might have been. He believed they ought to insist on" written work, though the W.E.A. in England had ceased to insist on it.

Mr. yon Haast: "It may be the W.E.A. is breaking down in England, for all we know."

In conclusion, Professor Hunter said that if the Colleges used money in an improper way it was a breach of trust, but the investigation should cover the expenditure of'the whole of these funds, and the W.E.A. should be cut out of special reference.

Professor. Hight (Christchurch) said that some,of the money granted to Canterbury College had been used for propa.ganda. He wondered how many members of the Senate had ever been present at a meeting of the Workers' Educational Association. Mr. H. F. yon Haast said the Senate had a right to inquire into the expendi-, ture of the money. How were they to find out?' Professor Hunter: "Go and nee." Mr. yon Ha-ast: " How can we go and see? We are all busy men." He suggested the only way was to have an; inquiry and a report. Perhaps then those. who came to curse would rnmain to bless.;* ( - ' ... : , : ■;.-.:....-.. -. .. .-..-... Professor Hunter: " Too late now." Mr. yon Haast said that if the Senaxe approved'the movement would set a tremendous impetus., but if the workers said, "We don't, want your teaching; it is bourgeois, it is'capitalist"—then it might be better to devote the money to other University, purposes. SUCCESS IN DUNEDIN. ; Dr. Cameron (Dunedin) said that in Dunedin there was a feeling'among the extreme section of Labour that the movement was intended to hoodwink them. Personally, he thought the movement was of the. utmost value to the community, and anything- that injured it was deeply to be regretted. There had been nothing of the nature of popular lectures in the W.E.A. work in Dunedin. The. work. wa,s so valued that the -Professors of Economics, English, and History were all required, as part of their.duty, to devote time to the association. They had a class for railwaymen on Sunday morning, a. class for the Koslyn Mills—a-nd he believed the work of the association had had its effect for good on the Labour movement. What did the committee want? Did they want all the tutors to send Tip copies of their lectures! for the committee to read and score out the passages they did-not 1 like? The Chancellor read out the passage in the Act providing, for the grant. The Senate was not a conduct pipe to. provide money for the W.E.A. Tie Workers' Educational Association was not mentioned in the Act, but the. Senate. had aproved the allotment of £300 to : Auckland and Victoria University Col-' leges and £350 to Canterbury <' College and so forth. It was left to the Senate to decide. The fund was provided by the Government for various purposes, such as libraries, establishing new chairs, and for other ways. It was a monstrous thing to suggest the Senate had no right to say where and how the rno'ney should be spent. He maintained it would be wrong in the present state to allow a man to go about under an appointment like this and set forth his vievrs as to the running of the country. The propagandist was a man who did not let the other side be heard;. he only presented his own view. That was all he had said and all he intended. He had not askedthat the Senate should lay down that a man should have a special creed approved by the Senate before he could be appointed. What was damaging the classes ? ■

Porfesor Hunter : " Your statement as published." The Chancellor maintained his statement. It was tiro duty of the Senate to see that the funds provided were spent in the proper way.

Mr. J. C. Adams (Christchurch) regretted the trend of discussion had gone back to the debate of yesterday. He agreed the Senate was entitled to hold an inquiry into the expenditure of its trust funds.

Professor Segal' (Auckland) said that in Auckland the administration was by a joint committee, and not by the College Council alone. He was not satisfied as to the efficiency of the work. The failure of written work was undoubtedly a drawback.

Dr. Anderson, Director of Education, said that in the Act of 1919 there was power to allot money for university extension work from the revenue of local bodies. [With this the Senat-e had nothing to do. There was no distinction between the moneys spent by. the College Councils on W.E.A. and other purposes under the grant from the University. Senate. The Joint-Committees in Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago lind no legal right to spend money or make appointments.

The Hon. J. A. Hanan reminded the Senate that the reformers of the past had often been decried by people as propagandists, and worse. It wan a difficult question to decide. The movement should"be encouraged, not damned. Why .should the committee not consider what further steps could be taken to promote the movement?

After Professor Macmillan Brown had replied, the motion, as amended by Professor Hunter, was earned unanimous-