ENEMY TEACHERS BILL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2576, 25 September 1915, Page 3

ENEMY TEACHERS BILL

THE VON ZEDLITZ CASE

A DEPUTATION OP PROTEST /A' representative deputation; number:irig about thirty, waited on the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W.F. Massey) to place their • views before him 1 regarding the- Alien,- Enemy Teachers Billj - and. particularly with 1 reference to the position occupied by Professor von Zedlitz, of the Victoria 'College staff. >■ The deputation was introduced by ( Mr., A. H. Hiudmarsli, M.P. Mr. T. : W. Hislop said that they felt handicapped in discussing the Bill, for they recognised: that it was only par t'of the" greater -subject of what, 'should, be accoided'to friendly subjects of nations at war with us. iWhen the - Bill was announced in New Zealand it was felt : that -a . blow > was being struck at their liberties• in social' Government. >The only, possible excuse for determining an agreement would -bo that a -teacher,: ,by virtue of being : a .-subject of .an enemy .power,- might aot sympathetically towards it,; but tho Bill included' those ; who had -.deliberate-. ]y ; by tbeir own act, ceased to bo an enemy subject... ;For- an example, he quoted Professor von Zedjitz's case. Shey wero. opposed to the Bill, for after : a. year of tne war, experience had not ; shown that \it was pessary .. or expedient. Careful investigation by the College-' Council and the i Government had shown that there was 110 call for but- if -an innovation was to :be introduced,; might they hope that, "like 'their- brothersin-England, they ( would open the door for citizenship to Tmq.n. deserving of .it. -. . -- .-

■ Other Teachers Affected. '' The Rev. Dr. Kennedy, Principal of ■ ■ St!. . Patrick's , College, 6aid, be , feared; that the; Bill miglit affeot a fow teacliers • inthe private schools controlled - by his Church. Possibly : there - were. • a" few Germans and' Austrians teaching in those schools, and lie wished to know whether tho Bill would apply to them. . Ho objected to the Bill on broad prin- . ciples of justice, and. he' appealed ' to the iGovernment not' to • inflict hardship on:inoffensive people.because they.hap-: pened to be Germans, v.. i-\. Professor /Hunter said ho could not ' spaak as tho; mouthpieco of tfco Professorial Board, because no meeting of ." that body had beeu held since the deyu- - tation. was. arranged, but' in opposing • the: Bill lie . believed he:■ ■ voicing i the sentiments:not only of the teachers. •••.of: Victoria• College, but of" university teachers all over the world. He asked ; the Government to consider the effect' • the'passage of the Bill _ would have on i our educational institutions. His own \ ■ opinion was that if- our agreements with ■ university teachers - were liable to be broken, the host .type of men would be deterred from accepting appointments in :our colleges. He declared that tho Bill '. was unjust, a Bill that ought, not to •bo passed by a Parliament of Englishf ' Mri Holland on Agreements. , ■ i' Mr; .11. E: Holland also , warned the 'Primes/Minister about the.dangerof.the policy of ; tearing -up scraps* of paper, and .reminded him._of, how . much was 5 .made 'of .. the notorious' declaration of one-Mr. Hickey, . "To . Hcll with agree.h,: ments."ULabour: <people\ felt.,that.,a. Vory grave injustice had hp?n done to a number of men who had been jn- " terned, .but.,they;,did. not ftliink .that, the . case of theso men would - lie made any better by -the perpetration tof . injustice tj> another man ,who_ happened to hold ar. educational position.' j iMrs. A. R..Atkinson said that she - leared the Bill would, affect a number

of women—she did not know how n.any --who were teaching music ■■ in cur schools. She believed the Bill was designed- to - meet tho case of one man only, but it had been given a general character for sake of decency.; She did not share in the opinion expressed by tho Primo Minister in the House that it was; the first duty of_ any t-eacher to inculcate patriotism in his students. On'the contrary,. , she believed that the: College Council would be justified in sacking any teacher who wasted his : time ,on anythii<£ of the son.

PRIME MINISTER IN REPLY. THE . PROFESSOR'S MISTAKE. ■, The Prime Minister said he had listened to the arguments of the various speakers with a great'deal, of interest, hut ho was bound l to say there were a number of them with which, lie totally ' disagreed 1 . He disagreed with. ; the opinion expressed, by Mrs. Atkinson that it "was not. .the business of .a, teacher to inculcate patriotism. He thought it was the duty of every teacher .to. do everything he possibly could to encourage patriotism, and' the teacher who could not do that had no: right-to be in his position. His own children were grown: up now, but if- his' children- were going to school he would hot allow them to bo pupils of such a teacher. Ho believed that there was no antagonism; on the part of any member of ■ Parliament .towards Professor von Zedlitz a man. He. was reputed to bei a most estimable man, and ho had filledhis position' .successfullyand (satisfactorily. But certain, mistakes had been made. Professor von Zedlitz. had . been a resident -.: of this country for many years. Why had he not applied for naturalisation? .Sufcly that-was a'mistake' on-his: part ?. Surely a/gentleman ocoupying a high public position, and receiving public ■ money, should liavo applied for' it_ long ago? There might be aa explanation, but he (Mr. Massey) did not know one.' On the outbreak of war Professor von Zedlitz.. did- write;, tendering his, resignation. ■ He thought th'e College Council made a mistake; in not accepting it. The Government of the country had found it necessary to discharge from the public service all unnaturalized aliens.: This had been found necessary. Ho did not: wish to go . further than that. If this was necessary in the case of' people paid directly; by. the. State', was it not necessary. in. ithe ■ case of those paid, indirectly from tlio revenues of the country? <. , - ,- Mr. Hislop: No. - - ;Mr. Milssey: I don't agree with that. :I;thtak;the position of a university pro-' fessor Is, even more important ; .than. the average, position in ;the;public service. He went ori to say that the Government bad to get rid of Germans in the public service. ,He was bound to admit that thore' were good and bad in all nations, among the Germans as among: the British. He knew many Germans who were decent citizens. ■ -Mr. Hislop: Among those dismissed?; Mr. Massey: No. Mr. Hislop: I know many of them. - Mr. Massey : said there, was no doubt that according to German law Professor von Zedlitz .was a German i subject. _ ; ■ ■ Mr. Hislop ■ ■ disagreed ' with this opinion.

Feeling of the Community. ' .Mr.: Massey said. the deputation un- : derstood the position as well as ,ho did. They knew that befoTO he inado any promise to the House there was a' very strong feeling Ton: the .'part of a very large proportion of people in this community with regard to the employment of Professor, von Zedlitz. The opinion of many people, was that-; h.e_should not'eontinue to hold this'position. , v Mr.. Hislop :, It. is not the opinion. < Quite the contrary. ■ ■ Let' us have • a: pub-' lie mooting hero and wo shall see. : .■ Mr. .Massey: T suggest to Mr. Hislop

that any hall in Wellington is open to him. ".' Mr. Hislop: Give us time before you pass this Bill. Mr. Massey said he had kept back the Bill already because of this deputaBut they must understand tho position. He bad made a direct promise to the House that Parliament would have an opportunity of dealing witli this_ question before the end of the session. ■ .' . Mr. Hislop: That was the mistake. Mr. Massey : Mistake or no mistake; I won't discuss that. The promise was niade, and that promise must be kept. The Bill will come: before Parliament befor ethe end of the session, and I am quite willing that everything said at this meeting should be placed before every , member of Parliament, and that lie should then vote and express his opinion according to his ideas and sympathiesontliis very difficult question. Mr. Hislop: Would you allow us to be heard before a.Committee of the House? Mr. Massey'said lie ; could make no promise on behalf of the House on this point. ' . r