WOMEN WHO SMOKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20978, 15 September 1931, Page 10

WOMEN WHO SMOKE.

PRIVILEGE AT UNIVERSITY. COMMON ROOM FACILITIES. BRIDGE-PLAYING BY STUDENTS. Fears that the recent privilege of smoking in the common room is to be denied them are held by some of the women students at the Auckland University College. It was only a few months ago-that tho professorial board, which has control of such matters, saw fit to allow smoking in the women's common room, but it has now come to the ears of the students that the board is reconsidering its decision. It is understood that the board has made inquiries from responsible students and has more or less agreed that smoking by the women students in the common room is lacking in dignity and that the example is riot of the best for the younger students. Its attitude has not been fully disclosed. The common room is the ono place in the college where the decorum demanded within its precincts can, within limits, be laid aside. It is here that between lectures the students meet in conversation and other quiet recreation. Some doubt exists whether it is the wish of the majority that smoking should be allowed, and there is a suggestion that a vote should bo taken on tho matter. However, whatever is tho professorial board's decision will end tho matter one way or another, vote or no vote. In the meantime no action has been taken, partly, it is believed, owing to tho fact that the women students arc at tho present time without a house committee, a sort of sub-committee of tho Students' Association executive, and possessed of certain disciplinary powers. It will not bo elected until this week. Although it is not held by thoso who desire tho continuance of the privilege to he any argument in its favour, they state it was observed that some of the professors' wives, who dro entertained at afternoon tea by tho students each year in the common room, were not averse to a cigarette. They state that smoking is permitted in the women's common rooms at Victoria College and at Canterbury College and also at Otago University. By some manner unknown to the students generally it lias been reported to the professorial board, quite wrongly it is agreed on every hand, that bridge has been played in the women's common room for money. Card-playing in the common room is quite permissible, but the students state that this privilege is not.taken advantage of to any great extent, and that there has certainly been no money attached to any game. The common room has several small tables of suitable size for card-playing and some of the women join in games of bridgo, but never for any great length of time. "It is absolufely untrue," said one woman student. "I am there every day and I am perfectly certain no one plays for money." No word of what has transpired at the board meetings as a result of this rumour has come to the students, but it is believed, so strongly has it been refuted, that there are absolutely no grounds for a ban to be placed on card-playing j and that the board has dropped tho matter.