“CONCHIE” LECTURER

Evening Star, Issue 25769, 16 April 1946, Page 7

“CONCHIE” LECTURER

UNIVERSITY APPOINTMENT QUERIED COLLEGE COUNCIL REFUSES TO ACT (P.A.) AUCKLAND, April 15... After full consideration, had been given to a protest by the Auckland Branch of the Returned Services Association against the appointment as a lecturer at the Auckland University College of a man stated to have been a conscientious objector, the College Council to-day decided to take no further action in the matter. "At the last meeting of the committee it was reported that Mr J. Laird had been appointed to your college as lecturer in philosophy at a salary of £4OO a year," stated a letter received from the Auckland branch of the R.S.A. "It was also alleged that Mr Laird was a military defaulter during the second world war and had been imprisoned for three months for escaping from a defaulters' camp." After entering a strong protest against the appointment, the association asked for Mr Laird's engagement to be terminated. BELIEFS FOUND GENUINE. A letter was also received from Professor W. A. Anderson, head of the department of philosophy, who stated: " On a point of principle, my opinion is against the employment of conscientious objectors, and my recommendation as to the staffing of my department, to which public attention has been called, is strictly an emergency measure in the absence of possible alternative candidates at the moment." Two letters also came before the council from private individuals urging that the appointment should be allowed to stand.

" When the college opened it became necessary, because of a large increase in students, to appoint additional temporary staff," said the president, Mr W. H. Cocker. He explained that Mr Laird's appointment was a temporary one for this year only. At the time the council was unaware of Mr Laird's history. The council had now carefully investigated the matter and had ascertained that Mr Laird was, when called up for service, a divinity student of the Presbyterian Church. It was the practice of the Church to appeal for its. divinity students and exemption was ordinarily granted. The Church offered to appeal for Mr Laird, but he took the view that as a conscientious objector he should not allow the Church to appeal for him but should himself appeal on this ground. His appeal was dismised, Mr Cocker continued, and in due course he was sent to a defaulters' camp. When provision was made bv regulation for a review of such cases, Mr Laird applied for reconsideration of his case. After hearing evidence, Mr W. H. Woodward, S.M., decided that he was genuine in his beliefs, and ordered his release. Mr Laird must, therefore, be regarded as having been sincere in his beliefs throughout. With regard to the conviction for attempting to escape from a defaulters' camp, the circumstances of this conviction were investigated by Mr Woodward, who was apparently satisfied that they did not affect the genuineness of his beliefs. Mr Cocker added that the president and the secretary of the college Ex-services Association had called upon him and informed him that the executive had held a meeting and reached the decision that they did not desire any action to be taken in fhis matter. Mr Cocker then moved that no action should be taken.

Seconding the motion, Mr Selywn Morris said there should not be any stigma attached to one who had been adjudged a genuine conscientious objector, provided he were considered a suitable man to lecture to students on his subject. " We made a temporary appointment in an emergency, and in these circumstances no action is called for," said Mr A. K, Turner. " It is unfortunate that the council was not told of the position of Mr Laird before we were asked to appoint him,'/ said Mr L. K. Munro, "but, in view of the facts as we now give them, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to terminate his appointment," NO ALTERNATIVE. No doubt the R.S.A. had been chiefly concerned at the possibility of such appointments precluding a returned soldier from obtaining the position, suggested the Hon. B. Martin, M.L.O. In this case, however, there had been no alternative; as another man could not be found for the position,' " If I hadbeen aware that Mr Laird was a conscientious objector when the appointment first came up, I probably would not have supported it," said Mr A. H. Johnstone. « I am reluctant to compel men who have returned from service to learn philosophy from one holding such views, but the returned men have themselves asked us now to take no action, so there is not much we can do." The council decided unanimously to advise the Auckland branch of the R.S.A, that it intended taking no action in the matter.