EDUCATION AND LABOR

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXVI, Issue 95, 18 May 1938, Page 3

EDUCATION AND LABOR

A FALLACIOUS STATEMENT. We have been requested by the secretary of the New Zealand Educational Institute to give publicity to the following statement in reference to a vote taken at the recent conference :—» The New Zealand Educational Institute acknowledges the fair and sometimes generous publicity giver, by the Press to the proceedings of its fifty-fifth annual meeting. Statements made by one Wellington daily paper in a leading article on May 13th are, however, so misleading in fact and implication that the executive of the New Zealand Educational Institute was called upon by the annual meeting to refute them. “By a majority of nine votes only, 46-37,” says the leading article, “it was decided to defer decision on the question (affiliation with the Federation of Labor) till the next annual meeting. These figures indicate the presence within the Institute of a substantial element which is bent upon converting it into a political machine.” The first sentence is fact and the second mere conjecture—conjecture based on false premises. A purely factual report, stating the pros and cons entirely without advocacy, was placed before the meeting at the request of the 1937 annual meeting. No motion for or against affiliation was put to the meeting, and the only aspect debated was whether or not affiliation should be discussed in twelve months’ time. The vote of 46 to 37 indicates nothing but the fact that a majority wished to defer consideration of an important matter for another year. Any conjecture as to the meaning of the voting would have been based on sounder premises if it had been referred to another resolution, carried unanimously, which reads: “The Institute may associate itself with or affiliate to any other educational body whose purposes may be calculated lawfully to advance the interests of the teaching profession and are not purposes of gain.” The report before the meeting gave six arguments for and six against affiliation. Yet, with a total disregard for the ethics of journalism, the paper concerned lifted the following quotation from the context: “Prominent sections of world opinion look to the workers as the greatest potential force in social progress. . . . Considerable enlightened opinion is frankly socialistic in our day.” It was followed by another quotation: “The non-political traditions of the Institute and the conservatism of many of its members cannot be lightly considered.” This was stated to be an argument used by the “saner element” that “realises the danger.” But no indication was given that both quotations are parts of the same report. The executive of the New Zealand Educational Institute welcomes this opportunity of refuting these misleading statements. As it happens, because no vote was taken, no one inside or outside the Institute is in a position to say whether or not the Institute is in favor of affiliation to the Federation of Labor. The statements made border on misrepresentation. But on this and any other issue the New Zealand Educational Institute with a history dating hack over half a century affirms its right to reach its own decisions in its own way, without interference from outside organisations. The suggestion that members of the teaching profession, merely because “their salaries are paid by the taxpeyers” should be deprived of the political rights and liberties of citizens is resented, and will be hotly contested.