UNIVERSITY STAFF

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 28, 28 October 1942, Page 4

UNIVERSITY STAFF

Objection To Action By College Council

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, October 27. A recent resolution by the Canterbury University College Council that any employee who refused, .military service on the grounds of conscientious Objection should bd granted leave of absence without ipay for the duration of the war was commented upon in a resolution passed by a meeting of fulltime members of the college lecturing staff and received at a meeting of the council today. The resolution was: "That this meeting is profoundly disturbed by the council’s action in introducing the principle of taking into account matters of conscience as affecting the tenure of university appointments. The principle of liberty of conscience has been recognized by the Government in setting up special tribunals to deal with cases of conscience, and the staff submits that interference with the livelihood of successful appellants under the law by bodies other than the Government is a breach of essential democratic rights.”

The rector, Dr. H. G. Denham, who forwarded the resolution, said the opinion of the meeting was tliat the council’s resolution reflected very definitely on the loyalty of the staff as a whole. He had not been able to find the case of a single conscientious objector on the permanent staff of the college. Professor A. H. Tocker said there bad -been a conscientious objector on the staff of the college, and Dr. Denham explained that he had not been a full-time member of the staff, but had been appointed to fill a gap. The council decided to refer the letter to the college committee.