TAKEN TO TASK

Evening Star, Issue 22517, 9 December 1936, Page 3

TAKEN TO TASK

TECHNICAL BOARD MEMBER LETTER TO THE PRESS DISCUSSED FREEDOM OF SPEECH CLAIMED “ A complaint by a member of a board should be made to the board itself. A mistake, in my opinion has been made by Mrs Herbert in writing to the Press about a matter that concerns the board.” These remarks by Mr J. J. Marlow (chairman of the Technical College Board of Managers) were directed at Mrs W. Herbert at yesterday afternoon’s board meeting, when taking her to task for writing a letter to the Press concerning the deletion of the agricultural course from the prospectus, Mrs Herbert refused to admit her alleged breach of board etiquette, and retorted that her action in writing to the Press was solely in the interests of the people. After a heated discussion the subject, was closed when Mr Marlow again pointed out that questions pertaining to the _ board should be ventilated at its meetings. The discussion arose when the chairman said he regretted the action taken by a member. He thought Mrs Herbert had made a mistake by engaging in newspaper correspondence. He contended she had also made a mistake by stating that the agricultural course had been deleted from the prospectus. In point of fact no courses were deleted. “ I give the members of this board a chance to discuss everything, and in future I would like them to refer questions of this nature to the board itself,” said the Chairman. Mrs Herbert; I do not apologise at all for sending a letter to the piper. At the last meeting I objected to the arts and commercial courses being deleted.

The Chairman explained that the reason why particulars concerning the two courses were not included in a letter sent to the students was because certain matters were deleted from the prospectus to reduce it in size. Mrs Herbert: Too much is discussed in committee by this board.

Mr Marlow said that any matter of principle was discussed by the board. Mrs Herbert: I thought there was something in the arts course which was being withheld from the students. I at all times ask for freedom of speech.

An explanation of Mrs Herbert’s objections to the two courses was offered the board by Mr J.,T. Paul. He said that if Mrs Herbert was right he misled the board at last month’s meeting. “She said two courses were deleted from the prospectus. Any outsider may have construed the letter literally and gained the impression we were closing three courses—commercial, art, and agriculture. We did delete the agricultural course for two reasons, one being that there was nobody anxious to take- it.” Mr Paul said that the prospectus contained pages dealing with the arts and commercial courses. As. far as the public was concerned, these courses were really extended. He would not put anything before the board that was not correct. Mm Herbert was not the_ only protector on the board of the rights of the people. Mrs Herbert: I claim no special virtues. If I did I would probably not be on the board. I only claim to fight in the interests of the people for what I think is right. The discussion lapsed when the Chairman stated that anything pertaining to the board should he discussed by it at the meetings.