PROFESSORS IN REPLY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7209, 18 August 1910, Page 4

PROFESSORS IN REPLY

THE "UNBUSINESSLIKE” CHAEGE

COLLEGE COUNCIL DECLINES TO READ LETTER.

At tho July meeting of the Victoria College Council Mr Wilson complained of Laxity ou the pari of the professors in sending forward tho list of nooks required to bo ordered for them, and remarked that professors were the moat unbusinesslike people in tho world, lie also said that a feeling of malice existed between the professors and the bear’d.

Through tho chairman of tho Professorial Board tho professors wrote last evening to tho College Council denying tho statements made by Mr "Wilson in his speech. When tho chairman (Mr H. F. Von Haas!) announced that the letter had been received. Sir Robert Stout eaid tho council ought not to read it, for it was not connected with any resolution of tho council, and was merely a criticism of a single speech. It was against all the'rules governing public bodies to deal with such criticisms. Ho moved that the letter be not read. Mr E. D. Bell, the professors’ representative on the council, expressed the opinion that Mr Wilson’s remarks were only meant in a Pickwickian sense, (A member: ,f Yes") It was impossible that tho professors should bear any malice towards the council, or that the council should have any such feeling towards the professors. He moved that the letter bo road. , , . Sir Wilson seconded. He had spohen at tho previous meeting rather in the heat of the moment, and he might have worded hxs remarks differently. However, ho did not wish to withdraw anything. The letter of Professor Kirk had not been road at tho council meeting, and it was sent w the papers by Professor lurk with th* knowledge of the chairman of tho council Sir Robert Stout said that the council was starting a very dangerous question. XJ a member of X’arhomont, during tho course of a speech, made some retteotions upon a civil servant, was it right that the Speaker should lay a letter before tho House if tho members of the civil service chose to meet and criticise the speech? The proposal was utterly unworkable. This letter must bo looked upon as utterly irrelevant, and to read it would be to establish a dangerous precedent. . , Mr A W. Hogg said, in the interests of fair play, if the professors chose to reply to assertions made at the previous meeting, believing them to be unfair or unjust, the council had a per-, feet right to read what they had to say. Air J G. W. Aitken: Did this council endorse what Mr Wilson said?

Members: Iso. ... The chairman .said that the remedy was not that the professors should be allowed to voice their denial of the statements made, but that members of the council should be careful of their words. (Laughter). , Mr "Wilson said his only regret was that he had made use of the word "malice’* j he had been wrong in construing the existing feeling as malice. As to the main assertion of unbusinesslike conduct, he made no withdrawal. By six votes to five the council resolved that the letter should not bo read.