THE NEWEST STRIKE

Hawera Star, Volume L, 29 November 1930, Page 9

THE NEWEST STRIKE

VE:W moves are being planned by the ' i "' leaders of the women Student'S: in residence at Cape Town University in their campaign against a rule of the university authorities which prohibits them from receiving male visitors after 6 pan., says the “Cape Times.” “It is not- going to be a strike without the pangs of hunger,” one of the students said, after the breakdown of a fasting period organised by the girls. “We shall attend meals whenever; we please. This will place the authorities m the awkward position that they will not know how much food to prepare, and accordingly there will be a greax wastage. At tho same time, our youthful constitutions will not be affected by self-inflicted curbs on our appetite.” “The impression has been conveyed that we signified our indignation against, a rule ‘which is an insult to our freedom’ by going down town and making whoopee at cafes and restaurants,” said anther student. “I may say that there was no general exodus of*foraging parties. Only a small proportion of the women students brought food into their rooms.” • The Women’s. Hostel has been t placarded with notices reading, ’*i “3,s this a gaol?” and “Down with tyranny!’’, The Principal of the University, Sir Carruthers Beattie, denied that there was any friction between the committee controlling the residences and the students. “There is no trouble,” he stated. “The whole affair is childish.” The students, on the other hand, said that the trouble was only too obvious, and that they were determined not to give in to the authorities. “The idea of this rule was to make us 4o more work now that the final examinations are approaching,” remarked another student, “but it is having the opposite effect. The women —notwithstanding this strange restriction on the receiving of male visitors —have the right to go out at night, and in a spirit of antagonism they are making full use of it.” Mr. W. F. van der Merwe, the chairman of the Students’ Representative Council, refused to make any state-

University Girls Rampant

ment, as he .said that the council had no control over . the residences, which are under the supervision of their own committee.

“A comparison lias been made with the state of affairs existing at Oxford,” said Mr. van der Merwe, “and in this connection 1 want to say that we are tired of having this institution constantly flung in our faces as an ideal of university organisation. In no circumstances may a male stu4ent allow a woman visitor into liis room at the University of Cape Town. At Oxford they may—that is if the woman is properly accompanied by a companion. At the local university this condescension to propriety is not recognised. If people must compare us with an institution which their comparisons always seem to assume is better than ourselves, why can they not take a modern university, like* the University of London, not an institution which has evolved from a medieval monastery?” In reply to a question Mr. van der Merwe said that a general meeting of students-could only lie called by tho .Students’ Representation., Council after it had received *a petition signed by 50 students’. “But in the present case,” lie added, “such a procedure, unless it was merely intended to ascertain the feeling of the general student body on the subject would be beside the point.” Several other students interviewed said that if the authorities did not withdraw the rule it was likely that a “rag” would be held a;s a demonstration of protest. Mr. H. R. Raikes, the Principal of the University of the "Witwatersrand, referring to the trouble at Cape Town University, said that there had been absolutely no trouble at the university in regard to men students visiting women students at the women’s hostel. The regulations were that visiting at the women’s hostel after 7.45 p.ru. was prohibited except on festive occasions, when invitations have to be issued by the ivomen and authorised by the Lady Dean. In the ordinary course of events men visitors were entertained in the reception room of the hostel.