Censor Not Wanted

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 267, 1 February 1928, Page 11

Censor Not Wanted

DEFENCE OF STUDENT PRESS PRINCIPAL WROTE PARAGRAPH Defending the freedom of the Training College magazine “Manuka,” the principal has disclosed the fact that he himself had written one of the paragraphs to which the department took exception! The department suggested that a responsible "censor” should be appointed to see that the students did not criticise the policy of the board or the department in the pages of “Manuka.” A letter from Mr. H. G. Cousins, principal of the college, was received by the board to-day. He wrote: "Except for the ‘College Notes’ over my own initials, written at the request of the ‘Manuka’ committee, the whole of the matter in the issue under criticism has been penned, I believe, by students.” He had acted on the dictum of his predecessor that one could rely on the strong commonsense of the collective body of students. The college executive, acting on his suggestion, had passed a resolution affirming the principle that the whole of the matter to appear In any issue must be submitted for approval to the executive before publication. “In defence of the editor, I would plead that he has not done very much amiss. It must be remembered that at the time of writing the students were considerably perturbed by the possibility of unemployment for some of them and the editor honestly tried, I believe, to express the disappointment and dissatisfaction that was keenly felt, and was no doubt being fully expressed in the common rooms "ZEAL OF YOUTH” “Here the zeal of youth possibly outran its discretion and resulted in an article that has gravely displeased the Director of Education. In support of the editor, I maintain that the aim was not, as the Director believes, to promote discontent among the students, but merely to express truly and forcefully a dissatisfaction which at the time was very real. “If sufficient appointments are not forthcoming this will probably express itself in some way again.” Mr. Cousins entirely disapproved of the suggestion that a censor should be appointed, for the following ons:—(1) Such an officer is unnecessary. One small indiscretion throughout many years of publication is no justification for drastic action. (2) It would be ill-advised to antagonise students unnecessarily. A grievance is better expressed than nursed. (3) Such an appointment, tending to undermine the principal’s influence, would be tantamount to an expression of no-confidence in him. “As the writer of the fourth paragraph on page nine, to which the director has taken exception, I desire to express regret that what I wrote as a simple statement of fact in recording the year’s events, should be considered not likely to do any good service to the profession. If it has such an effect I shall sincerely regret it,” he concluded. It was decided to send a copy of the report to the department.