LECTURE BY NEGROES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 September 1938, Page 5

LECTURE BY NEGROES

E COMMENT AT WAIRARAPA t COLLEGE MEETING. , I PAYMENT BY THE PUPILS. I “— J The fact that the pupils were “prac- j tically compelled” to pay 6d to hear the a lecture given recently at Wairarapa ( College by the touring Negro debaters' " was the subj eat of comment by Mr W. H. Saunders at last night’s meeting of c the Wairarapa College Board of Gov- r ernors. ‘Mrs Saunders and I were invited to v attend,” observed Mr Saunders,' “and c when we reached the door we were asked to pay Is. Naturally, I did not object to the payment, but I have ' heard considerable ( adverse comment on the fact that the children- had to r pay 6d. The pupils, I understand, were I practicaly compelled to attend. It was not fair to compel the pupils to attend t a lecture in school hours and pay fox - c admission. Where did the proceeds go s to?’ P The Principal, Mr G. G. Hancox, said o that in order to secure a visit to Masterton of the Negroes, their expenses t. had to be guaranteed. The schools s; were asked if the children would at- c tend a lecture and pay 6d and so con- “ tribute to the guarantee. The proceeds b went to the New Zealand University p Students’ Association, which made a n donation of £1 Is to the College. They t] had hoped that every pupil would at- t] tend, but if any said they would not s they would not have been compelled to. A certain amount of pressure might have been brought to bear on 0 them to pay the 6d. s , Mr Saunders said the children thought it was compulsory to pay the 6d and that was why the adverse comment had been made. On any future similar occasion the children should be a given the opportunity of paying 6d or i: else continuing in the class rooms. An £ invitation was an invitation, and board n members should (not have been asked 0 to pay. p The chairman, Mr. W. R. Nicol, said n he ..did not think any pressure shpuld p be brought to b.ear, on the children to p pay for anything their parents did not -j agree with. ■ j Mr. Hancox said the children were c not compelled to pay, but were given c every encouragement to do so. In order to save collecting money at the .. lecture the children were asked to hand their sixpences to their teachers ’ a few days prior to the lecture. “So ’ few brought them,” he said, “that perhaps I did speak rather strongly and ■ say that it looked as if we were going . to be let down. I was very concerned I: about it. There was no intention that .: board members should pay.” 1 Mr Nicol: “I did not pay for myself or Mrs Nicol.” c The secretary, Mr H. M. Boddington: ’■ “There was someone at the door and n you could not get past without paying. I know. I paid 35.” s In the opinion of Mr Saunders the - expenses of the visit should have been c guaranteed by those responsible for it £ and not by the children. He certainly -? enjoyed the lecture and did not be- f grude the Is.

Mr A. Donald said it would be a great pity if any children missed the opportunity of hearing the lecture. Mr Hancox: “No pupil was kept away from the lecture. They did not al l pay but the whole school attended." The discussion then lapsed.