AN INGENIOUS RUSE.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2584, 5 October 1915, Page 8

AN INGENIOUS RUSE.

Sir,—You assume in .'your article ol this morning's Douision that the rot Zedlitz problem is solved,; put outsidt the Parliamentary Court by the resigna>; tion of the German; gentleman in question. But is it? I wash L could think so.- • 'Just consider exactly how the position now stands. An informal meeting of .the College Council has decided l Not that the "Professor's resignation should be v accepted forthwith;,but that on Saturday nest, October 9, a resolution accepting that resignation should be "considered"! very protty, verypretty, indeedl But just see wliat the Teal meaning of . this movo is. .

The idea is, I have no doubt, to de< lude' the Government. and the House into the belief that the acceptance of the Professor's-resignation is assured, so that . the former ; may be tempted to withdraw - the Alien ':Enemy Teachers: Bill. . That once done, what will follow?; Tie council/ being then not "compelled" to. dismiss tie gentleman of German nationality, who draws £700: a year,of public money, mil, if, lam anything of I a prophet, quietly discover at thel meeting nest; Saturday, (when Parliament will have adjourned' audi nothing more can be done until nest year) that Victoria College, will be everlastingly ruined -unless the gentleman of German nationality is not persuaded to "reconsider his resignation."-. .And then, of- course, tlie Professorj. "in the interest of the-institution, etc.-. etc.," may be persuaded to withdraw the resignation. A very pretty schemeindeed,' a scheme the inception of which; must, no doubt, bo credited' to the very cfever and subtly, ingenious' legal brains, of which 1 the Professor has had the. benefit ever since the' commencement of., the controversy. -7. X ; I trust, however, that neither tha Prime Minister, who at least: is, I: am convinced, thoroughly "straight" ;. in; this matter, j\or the House, will bo. gull-j ed by the ingenious device by wnich' it is hoped, by the Professor's friends* to post-pone the evil day of compulsory; departure. ; 1 There are some very clever people behind the "martyred"'German, gentle-, man ; but it is just as-well;,that . the; public—and especially the Hous&—should realise the actual position. ' . The Alien Enemy Teachers Bill should be passed—the Bill, the whole Bill, and nothing but the Bill! ' That alone mil' make the position secure.—l am, etc.,: '; NEW: ZEALANDER: '

[Our correspondent overlooks two' things—(l) That the; Alien Enemy Teaeners Bill is a general measure re-: lating to all enemy ; alien teachers in State educational institutions,' and not merely a Bill relating'to Professor von. Zcdlitz; (2) that the Prime has definitely pledged himself" to pass the Bill this session. It is incredible that the Victoria C-ollego Council would) descend to the paltry trick suggested; but whatever that body may do does not affect the position so far as the pass-, ing,of the Bill is concerned. The r&> signation of Professor von Zedlitz, whether accepted or not, affords no excuse for dropping the'.Bill.] *.