UNIVERSITY APPOINTMENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26442, 22 April 1947, Page 3

UNIVERSITY APPOINTMENTS

Sir, —your leader in a recent issue has drawn attention to an important. issue—should all University appointments be advertised and the choice of appointees limited to those who apply for any given position? This issue cannot be correctly decided by" regarding the principle of democracy as a rigid doctrinaire principle, to be appled universally and regardless of circumstances. Democracy, as it has been practised and understood among British peoples, never has been a rigid doctrinaire principle. Government by rigid ■ doctrinaire principles is characteristic of the extreme left—communists and crypto-Communists. Our democracy has always been opposed to such a method of framing policy or of government. The Communists who, being dominated by a rigid doctrinaire principle themselves, have persistently discussed democracy as if it were a counter similar rigid principle in the light of which all questions should be decided. They have had considerable success by this practice in confusing the issue between Communism and democracy.

Broadly speaking it may be conceded that where public money is to be expended it is desirable that vacant positions should be advertised. But it is not customary to follow this practice. in the army, where huge sums of public money are expended. If we wish to obtain the best men for some at least of our University staff and management, we shall never get them if the choice of the person to be appointed is always limited to those who have responded to an advertisement by making application. If it is maintained that all University appointments should be advertised before being made, it should be recognised that the University Council is at liberty to appoint, if they think fit, someone who has not applied for the -position, but whom they have invited to accept it. It is quite possible tha£ in some cases even the advertising of the position might prejudice the chance of our getting the best man appointed.—l am, etc., M. D. April 21.