COLLEGE DEBATES

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 50, 28 August 1922, Page 5

COLLEGE DEBATES

10 IHI DDIIOK Sir, —Mr. Potter returns to his attack on the Victoria College Debating Society, and is at 'pains to set before the public what the society and its defenders "plainly demand." He does not, hovvcYei', distinguish between what he desirea, and states that they plainly demarid the actual published reports of their views. His reply is based on unwarranted inferences and substantiated by a fertile imagination. It is pleasantto recollect that' this method of argument is confined to politicians. Naturally, when I challenge Mr. Potter to produce evidence in proof of hia statement that a motion was carried by a largo majority condemning tile use of the British flag and the oath of allegiance, he finds it very convenient to ignore the issue and'reply that I am straw-splitting.-The whole point of the motion on loyalty was the insistence upon external symbols. Mr. Potter says this'means > the abolition of all compulsory symbols of loyalty. . I borrow his dramatic query. N "What does the public think of -this. attitude of ..mind?". • 1 \ '. The member for Roskill's remarks about the debate on intellectual freedom are rather amusing when it is recollected that Mr. P. J. Smith .and "myself opposed the motion moved by Messrs..' Frasery M.P., and Brindle, and made speeches vindicating the capitalistic v syste,m. Also may I again point out that the attended this debate; admission not be-' ing by ticket only, and voted for or against the motion. The striking contrast between Mr. Potter's reference to Mr. T. ißrindle in the Houses of Representatives and' in. his' letter is -no. doubt based on the idea of special. privileges for none1 except politicians. -Next I accuse my opponent of deliberately misquoting me. I wrote, "The presentl arbitrary division of the country into geographical areas might be replaced by a system with' an industrial and profeseional basis." Mr. Potter omits the words "and professional" and completely changes the whole idea of an industrialParliament. By this means' he is enabled to indulge in irrelevancies about the Labour Party and also to ignore the fact that I quoted Sir William Noble in sup 1 port of the proposed change, Professor Meredith Atkinson says,'. "In Germany 'political representation is . gradually yielding to industrial representation, anjl, as Hugo Stinne- says, the Lime will', come ! when politicians'will have- nothing to do with, questions of production, of which, as a ; class, they are almost entirely ignorant. ,In Britain the idea of industrial Parliaments is making rapid headway. B«pre- ; sentation by trade rather than by. territory is the coming form of administra-; tion." For Mr. Potter's information/ Hugo'Stinnes is not a member of a Labour union, but apparently has had experience'of politicians. To'be quite logical, my opponent proceeds to show his good tast« by indulging in; personalities. This expedient •is the crowning achievement of all.persons unable fo prov.« their case. '''■■•"' Throughout this controversy;- I have given Mr.' Potter the facts, bnt I am unable -to supply him with understanding.; In conclusion, Mr. Potter's solicitousness for the1 community and the ■spending of public money is very commendaWs in view of approaching -events. —I am, etc., . ■'•' /'.- ' •*" "■'"■■'■" ; F. H. HAIGH, " ; : "•'■■; ; Secretary ;V.U.O.D.S. , 25th August. , ' • -„- 10 IHI EDITOR. Sir, —As ; one who hitherto hajlbeen. an enthusiastic supporter of the university and' its fleba^jng-isppetjf, ■■buk^hasi now, thanks to..MrJ Potter, realisea..the". error of bis ways, may I be allowed to explain the reason,of my conversion! Mr. iPottet's position is quite incontrp r vertible once his fundamental premises ar» Understood arid conceded. ' These fundamentals are, first, the omniscience of legißaltors, and second, the omnipotence of legislation. From the. first it clearly follows that nothing must be /written, spoken,, or contemplated that is Mot': previously prescribed and dogmatised on by Mt. Potter and his colleagues of unexcelled' academic attainments. Of course, such ,a course when applied in (^ermany in the. form of kulfur produced appalling results. Butidon't be led astray by that unfortunate incident, which was merely due to the fact that Prussian legislators did not possess' the same degree or the same quality of almost divine omniscience ' as our greatly to be revered, and f requentfy to be "saluted,/-emblems of- loyalty in-the Legislature.'1 As to the second fundaonental, this is a necessary complement of the first. The leaders,, having 'decided what and the rest, of the community are to eat, write, speak,' and think, all that^is necessary' to complete development of intellectual free-.. dom is to legislate making it a highly penal, offence to eat, write, speak,'and think1 otherwise. The following are examples of urgently needed measures :— To enforce one of the1 highest Virtues—r filial affection—every child under 18 years of age be compelled to kiss its parents daily at 8 a.m.' on hygienic principles; to'satisfy any craving for literary and intellectual uplift, every adult to read aloud daily for two hours froni Hansard'; .to foster loyalty, every citizen to: memorise and recite twice' daily Mr. Potter's letter on the subject of "TJnivergity_ Debates." i Such measures will effectually repress the present entirely unseemly tendency to freedom of thought and development of mind on the part of seekers after truth. In other lands, students have had ■to t pass through a radical : phase before reaching more mature views, hut, praise be, our legislators will in future save our students such useless travail. —I' am, etc., ;.■-■•. ;■ . ■ ■ quis. •; 24th August.^ '.. . ..".. . '