IMPUTATIONS AGAINST STUDENTS

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 62, 10 September 1921, Page 9

IMPUTATIONS AGAINST STUDENTS

TRAINING COLLEGE INQUIRY

DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE'S

REPORT.

After full and careful consideration of the facts elicited at the inquiry held at the Training College this week, regarding suggestions that a number of the students had acted in an improperly sympathetic manner with Miss Hedwig Weitzel, who was recently fined far having circulated seditious literature, the committee set up, Mr. T. Forsyth, chairman of the Wellington Education Board, Mr. J. Caughley, Director of Education, and Mr. G-. L. Stewart, secretary of the Education Board, haa drawn up a report to tihe Minister of Education, which ctefmitely states that the charges mad» are unfounded, that the students in question did not contribute towards tb» fine imposed, that literature of tbe class complained of in Miss Weitzel's caw Is not circulated among students, and that influences of a seditious nature do not operate in relation to students. The full text of Mr. Forsyte's report is as follows: — | . . "Sir, —I have the honour to report th,at in accordance with your request an inquiry was held on Thursday afternoon at the Training College, when there were present the Director of Education (Mr. J. Caughley)," Messrs. T. Forsyth (chairman of the Education Board), A. J. White (member of the Board), G. L. Stewart (secretary), W. H. Gould (viceprincipal of the Training College), Miss Hetherington (assistant-lecturer), and Mr. Kennedy (president of the Students' Association). Owing to illness, Professor Tennant, Principal of the Training College, was unable to attend. "In view of the fact that full publicity had been given to the charges made against them, the students and staff had expressed a desire for a public inquiry. Prior to the opening of the inquiry, I read to the officers of the coi. lege and the president of the Students' Association your telegram of Bth September, in which you asked that a 'merely departmental investigation' be made. The president of the Students' Association had the position fully explained to him, am) was asked to ascertain from the seventeen' students ■' concerned whether they desired the inquiry to be held in public or otherwise. After consultation they decided that, in deference to your request and provided a fall report of the investigation was supplied 'to the press, the inquiry should not' be public. -I agreed to give full publicity to •my report, and the inquiry was then proceeded .-with. . ','.-... DIRECTORS' THREE POINTS. "It was decided by mutual consent to confine the investigation to the three points contained in the letter of the Director of Education of 29th August, which read as follows:— (1) A statement- from the girl students referred to indicating whether their attendance at the Court and the fact that they contributed towards the payment of the fine were evidence of their approval and support of Miss Weitzel in the offence with which she was charged. (2) Whether the students in general are aware of the, circulation of ;ahy of the literature referred to among ■tudents of the college. ' (3) Whether there is reason to believe that either at the Training Col-' lege or during their attendance at Victoria College as Training College students influence of the type exerted by Miss Weitzel are operating in relation to students.' "The vice-principal of the Training College handed in his full report on the ■whole matter raised by you, and a copy ia attached hereto. THE FINDINGS. "The president and officers of the Students* • Association and the seventeen women students, who attended the Court ■when Miss Weitzel was convicted, were examinedl and cross-questioned on the points, and after full inquiry I have to report my finding of the whole of the charges as follows:— (lj The students attended the Court merely out of curiosity or personal sympathy with the individual charged, but specifically and individually deny their approval and support of Miss Weitzel in the offence of which she was convicted. (2) None of the students is 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 at Victoria College, stated, that so far as they knew Miss Weitzel had never tried to influence any student at either college to accept the political and social principles she has adopted, and further, absolutely no reference had ever been made to them in the manner suggested. Some of the students had never spoken to Miss Weitzel, and until the recent proceedings a number of them were unaware of the views she holds. (4) None of the students had ever been asked, and certainly none had contributed anything towards the payment of the fine. "FAR TOO MUCH PROMINENCE." "I desire to aid the following statement :—ln my opinion, far1' too much| prominence has been given to the charges made against the students, which, after all, were bas«d solely on the ex parte statement of a police officer, in which fact and illicit inference are strangely mingled, and, from the evidence which was put forward freely and frankly by the students, and: subsequently confirmei by the officers of the Training College, who were also present during the Court proceedings, it was clearly established that the charges were absolutely baseless and devoid of truth. Tho unnecessary circulation through the press of such mischievous rumours before the slightest investigation, had been mado is to be exceedingly regretted, andi irreparable injury has thus "been done to the Training College. The high moral tone and th« undoubted loyalty of students of the Training College has always been evident to those who have visited the college, and its war record is secondl to none in the Dominion. "In accordance with the promise made to the students and officers of the Train- i ing College I am handing a copy of this roport to the press throughout the Dominion, with a request that they give the same publicity to the actual facts of the case a« was given to th© report published and commented on last week.— (Signed), T. Forsyth, chairman."