PUBLIC KNITTING.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20276, 10 April 1934, Page 5

PUBLIC KNITTING.

Banned by University Professor. ACTIVITY DISTRACTING. (Special to the “ Star.’’) AUCKLAND, April 10. The annoyance caused to speakers through women knitting at public lectures, a question which arose in Christchurch recently, has been referred to in Auckland, where two women students who were knitting during a lecture on economics at the University College were asked by the lecturer, Professor H. Belshaw, to stop, as their activity had a distracting effect upon him. “It is the first time in my experience that I have .observed students knitting during a university lecture,” said Professor Belshaw afterwards, It is only a small thing; but it is certainly distracting to have members of an audience knitting at a lecture, especially when there is one at each side of the room.” Four members of the women’s house committee of the University Students’ Association were questioned on their views of the propriety of knitting at lectures. Two held that there could be no objection to the practice, as it did not prevent them from taking the fullest interest in what was being said. The other two advanced exactly opposite views. “ Knitting should be reserved for the fireside and the tramcar,” commented one of them. “It is out of place in a lecture room. Although there is no official ban on the practice, it is one of those things that are not done among students.”