BOLSHEVISM ALLEGED

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11292, 18 August 1922, Page 7

BOLSHEVISM ALLEGED

VICTORIA COLLECE DEBATE ALLEGIANCE OATH AND BRITISH FLAG CONDEMNED. AS SYMBOLS OF PATRIOTISM. The attention of the Minister for Education was drawn by Air V. H. Potter (Roskill), in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, to reports of .recent debates: by the Victoria University College Debating Soeity. “In one debate,’ said the hon. member, “according to the Press, the society by a very large niajQjrity condemned tJi© tis© of the Brit i six dag aiud of tho oath Of allegiance as symbols of patriotism, and plainly suggested the abolition of all compulsory symbols of loyalty. In a second debate, tlie University Club declared for the abolition, of parlia mentary government in New Zealand. In another debate), the debating cLub invited to tfce university, to take part in a discussion on Socialism, Mr Peter Fraser, M.P., an.;l a -well-known Communist and Bolshevist, one l Mr T. Brindle, convicted of seditious utterances in 1917-r— —” Mr Fraser (Wellington Central): It is a lie —a deliberate lie. Mr Speaker: Order, order! The hon. member must comply with the standing orders of the House. Mr Fraser: Then I wish there was a standing order to suppress liars. The Speaker: As long as he is a member of the House, the hon. member must comply with the rules. Mr Fraser: Very well, sir. T bow to your railing. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? Mr Pot/ter repeated the Interrupted sentence, adding, “and on this occasion the society by a. large' majority declared for the adoption of Socialism in this epuntry. Is the Minister for Education (asked the hob, member; able' to say whether the teaching at the university is responsible for the extraordinary opinions of the6e students, which offend the bulk of the community P and are teachers from the Training College among these students who take part in these debates ? and, if bo, does the Minister consider this debating society the best training grounds for our young teachers?” The Hon. C. J. Parr replied that he was afraid that he could not give much information about the University Debating Society. He was unable to account for the sources of the information of its members. Mr Holland: You won’t start a heresy hunt, will you? THE CONTROLLING BODIES. Mr Parr retorted that 'he had no doubt that the opinions of the debating society were sources of great gratification to the hon. member for Bullor; whether they were to the rest of the community was a matter for question. The control of the -university was, of course, vested in the College Council-; and he believed that any supervision of the debating society was - wholly in the hands of the -professorial board. He believed that the opinion of the council was that so long os tihe debating club kept within the four comers of the law in its discussions - there was no reason to interfeire. ; (Hear, hear.) That was a. safe stahd- - ard, if not an extremely idealistic one. He could not say.whether teachers at- ' tended the society or not. The matter was really not within his jurisdic- ' :tion. It was one entirely, in the hands ; of the College Council and the Proifes- , sorial Board. . • Mr H. E. Holland (Buller): Put it : ill the hands of the Welfare League, i (Laughter.) Mr Pan- added that it was true t hat I Parliament contributed by grant to : the finances of the university, and lhad ' the power to express any opinions on i the university if it dhose to do so. I Mr Holland asked whether it was l permissible for members to take ,ad- - vantage of the forms of tbe House: to . put questions that had absolutely no 1' foundation of truth in them, and That had the effect of damaging the character of reputable citizens outside the House? 1 The Hon. E. P. Lee: They are dodng it every day. J The Speaker replied that he was not in a position to say whether questions ’ put in the House were correct as to ■ matters of fact or otherwise. I Ton. members Ought to see whether the questions they put were correct; in i every detail. Mr Eraser: Hear, hear. Quite satisfactory.