WORKERS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18466, 30 January 1922, Page 6

WORKERS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION.

PROPOSED CHANGE OF NAME. • UNIVERSITY SENATE REJECTS MOTION. ASSOCIATION’S WORK VINDICATED. (Pi* United Pbem Association.! AUCKLAND. January 27. The activities of the Workers’ Educational Association formed the subject of a long discussion by the University Senate. The matter was introduced in the report of the committee appointed by the Senate to examine into the use made by the colleges of the funds granted by the university out of the national endowment grant. The committee recommended: 1. That the name “Workers’ Educational Association” should bo changed to “University Adtilt Classes Association.” 2. That the local authorities should not appoint any tutor unless he has received a certificate of fitness from the university. 3. That money grants bo distributed as at present. 4. That copies of the annual reports received be forwarded' to the Education Department. The Hon. Dr W. E. Collins. M.L.C., in presenting the report, referred to his investigation of the work of the association in the 'Wellington district. He said he, found that a feeling of doubt or suspicion had been aroused in regard to the association. He had obtained reports from tutors, and desired to read them to the Senate. The Senate went into committee for the purpose. The Rev. Dr Cameron (Dunedin) said the movement had its defects; but so did every young movement, and that was no reason for discontinuing it. There were two hindrances—one class thinking it was purely a “red fed’’ movement, and therefore being alienated from it, while others looked upon it as a capitalistic movement, and so would have nothing to do with it. The best way to overcome tho difficulty was not to change the name, but to continue the movement as earnestly as possible. With the Hon. J, A. Hanan ho visited the various classes in Otago and Canterbury, and he said -that those districts were to be congratulated on good work done. All the tutors except one were university graduates, and they put the problems fairly and squarely | before the students so that they could think the matter out for themselves. At Greymouth one member of the committee thought that the economics class should decide by vote as to the theory of economics to he taught, and favoured only the Marxian theories; but he stood alone, the other members of. the committee strongly opposing him. The association afforded employers and. workers alike an opportunity to meet on terms of equality. , It was a hopeful and healthy movement. There was pood reason to believe that the benefit of the education afforded by the classes wa a being carried into the trades unions and was influencing them. a Professor A._ P. W. Thomas said that while some did not -consider the classes quite satisfactory, none would like to see them discontinued. One reason for the committee’s recommendation to change the name was that it was desired to keep the idea of class away from the lectures. The Hon. George Fowlds said the report was drawn on the lines of direct action, and meant applying the guillotine to the Workers’ .Educational Association. Tho association was Imperial in character, and in his opinion was one of tho most promising movements that had been inaugurated in the British _ Empire for many, yearn. There was not the slightest occasion for any changing of the title. He was sorry to hear the report of the conditions in Wellington, and thought the blame for that must rest largely on the Victoria College Council. In Auckland (ho association had done valuable work. Ha had watched its progress very carefully, and considered the influence it exerted on 10 or 12 leadingpeople in tho Labour movement in the city was worth more than all the money spent. Excepting about half a dozen members of he would be willing to select six men who had passed through the association’s classes, and, let there bo chosen six of the remaining members of tho House, and if his candidates did not obtain higher marks in political economy he would make a substantia] contribution towards the work of the association in Auckland. It was inevitable that there should bo disappointkut there was mismanagement in Wellington in any way that was no reason for killing the association. There was a disposition to “dub” anything that was away from the established order of things Bolshevik” and to kill it by giving it a had name. .He would strongly oppose changing the title of the association, Mr W. J. Morrell (Dunedin) said the name Workers’ Educational Association seemed to him to bo most happily chosen. It was held in respect in the Old Country and in every British community. Messrs J. C. Adams (Christchurch) and I*. A. De I,a Mare (Hamilton) opposed changing tho name. Sir Robert Stout said it seemed to him most extraordinary to say that u change of name altered a thing. Speakers had said that the association’s classes were open not only to workers, but to employers He simnly wished to emphasise that the association should not be a mere association of trade unionists, but should bo open to anyone. It was to enlarge the association that the committee proposed that the name be changed. All that was asked was that the classes should he called university adult classes, which was precisely what they were. Those who were asking for the present name to remain wanted to make it narrow. (Members; No.) He did not, want to do anything against the trade unions, because be thought they should bo encouraged. What the committee asked should be done was to make tho association universal, and not confined to a class. There could be no doubt that there was a section of the people who thought tho only salvation of the world lay in tho destruction of our cilivisation and in bloodshed. ft seemed that some students of the university had this evil within them, judging by the paners before the Senate at this session. From their answers to examination questions thev aopeared to think that the only saving of the world was to have a bloody revolution. Mr Dc La Mare; We have not had tho paners before us. Sir Robert Stout said they had been before the committee. It would go out to the world that there were members of the Senate who were helping these revolutionaries in our-midst. (Members; Oh. no!) The Senate ought (o nrovo to the public that it did not want the classes to be biassed by any section. There should be equal opportunity for all classes, and »i name to cover them all. Professor T. A. Hunter (Wellington) sard he believed that Dr CoDins was correct

whon lie said there was a. feeling of easpicion regarding the association, mainly because the extreme sections on either side did not approve of the educational programme. This was largely the outcome of the fundamental subject being economics. To a great extent tho suspicion was the result of gossip. The Senate, he said, should take a broad view. Other members said the Senate had no power to change the name of the association. The first and second recommendations of the committee were defeated, and tho third was adopted, after an amendment by the Hon. Mr Fowlds that the words "on a population basis" be substituted for "as at present” had been defeated. The lourth recommendation was also earned.