Voting Bid Fails at N.U.S
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Friday, December 2nd, 1966 UNION NEWS No. 316 Price 3d. VOTING BID in brief... Tuesday’s five hour Union Committee:— — approved a collection and FAILS AT N.U.S. exhibition in the Union to raise By DAVE WILLIAMS money for those who have suffered as a result of the recent LEEDS’ attempts to change the voting structure Italian floods. * * * of the National Union of Students have ELECTION VICTORY — threw out an Exec, recom failed again. mendation that bye-election can didates be allowed to display The second day of the Union’s four day November posters in the Union and another Council was spent debating both the report of a Voting that ballot boxes be placed in Commission set up last Easter Council, and a Leeds FOR ENGINEERS halls at elections. * * * amendment to the voting system. A poll of less than 20% — decided to send three dele Leeds along with a number of other unions, was seeking to he said exams, should not be was recorded at this gates to the Student Conference a “battle course”. He added on Racial Equality. replace the present Multiple week’s bye-election. * * * Transferable Vote (MTV) with “They should set out to test the Single Transferable Vote intelligence and academic profi Topping the poll for Union — referred back to Exec, the system (STV). The latter system ciency, not courage”. The Committee was F. A. Johnson, a question of the size of next it is claimed, would give better motion was passed overwhelm postgrad, civil engineer who term’s Arts Festival ball, having representation to minorities. ingly gained 529 votes; Victoria Flek, a defeated by one vote a motion Jack Straw, Leeds’ Vice-Presi- Monday’s debate on the struc- second year maths student, 382; that it should be a Scheme A dent proposed the Leeds’ amend- ture of NUS saw a personal and Stephen Meyer, postgrad. ball. ment and claimed that if the triumph for Jack Straw. He English student, with 328 votes, * * * Executive was to be the policy topped the poll for membership were also elected. — passed the Union budget forming organ of the National of a commission set up to investi- The bye-election was caused account, totalling £70,000, in 20 Union then it must be represen- gate the structure of the NUS. by the resignations of Howard minutes. tative. He said that the MTV He beat LSE President David Guard, David Ward, and Jim * * * system was the cause of abuses Adelstein by twenty votes. Later Goulding. — decided that Arts Festival in the NUS that day, Phil Holmes ex-Leeds Candidates for the election Christmas cards should be sold Straw was supported by LSE House Secretary failed by three were allowed to display two at a Saturday night hop. President David Adelstein, who votes to gain a place on the posters in the Union, under a * * * received an ovation from the Council’s steering committee. minute passed by Exec, last week. — decided that the Christian 1,000-odd delegates when he LEAVING announced himself. Four constituent unions are MISTAKE Council be given an annual David Heap, retiring Secretary considering leaving NUS. They grant of £200 towards the upkeep of NUS said that the Executive are Keele, Bradford, Southamp- Secretary Norman Jones was of the Christian Centre. had to be apolitical in appeal. ton and Didsbury College of told to inform candidates of their As the debate went on, refer- Education. They are considering right to have posters. However ences were frequently made to their future in the organization due, he asserts, to a mistake by the “smear campaigns” that had following the defeat of the STV the secretaries, the letters were been conducted during the elec- proposal on Saturday, placed in the Union Committee tions at the Easter Council this Keele had been specifically letter rack, where four of the STUDENT year. mandated by a Union General candidates did not find them In a speech that brought him a Meeting to leave NUS unless the until after the Elections. prolonged applause, Executive STV proposal was adopted. The Only two of the ten candi member, Roger Lyons, attacked decision awaits ratification by dates put up posters. COUNCILLOR his colleagues for indulging in the next U.G.M. One of them, Stephen Meyer “malpractices, personal attacks Bradford’s President Brian was elected. “I got on and the and more subtle methods”. Atkinson told Union News that other chap didn’t. I shouldn’t APPOINTED The Executive, he said, Bradford would stay in for one think that the posters made T ) R. Elizabeth Rowell, brought “insidious negative char- year. He said that they felt they much difference,” he remarked. acter smears into our elections” were not getting value for the Even so, those who did not ^ former tutor of Women and he added that he was “sick £800 pounds their membership know of their right feel aggrieved. Students, has been appoin and tired of Executive methods cost them each year, “Bloody unfair,” was how one in elections”. Southampton had also been candidate described it. “It was a ted to the new post of Bill Savage, retiring President mandated to leave. President ridiculous place to put the letters. Students’ Councillor. of the NUS described STV as a Janet Royle told Union News, They should have been sent by “concept of representation which “Unless there is a change in the post.” She will deal with problems of can only be harmful to the voting system next Easter we both men and women students National Union. will leave.” Ex-House Secretary Phil which cannot be satisfactorily The Leeds amendment to the All three expressed concern Holmes intends to take a motion solved by any single University to Union Committee on the Constitution was defeated about the problem of replacing matter. department, whether academic or Although over 50% of the dele- services at present provided by social. gates voted for it, it failed to NUS. Some are seeking alterna- Although the post is not con achieve the necessary two-thirds tive arrangements, nected with Student Health, her majority. Leeds’ President Mervyn Debates “Censured HENRY PRICE office is in the same building, EXAMS Saunders commented “To come and appointments can be made On Sunday, Leeds Cultural out of NUS on this ad hoc basis TVISC Jockey Paul Burnett did not turn up to speak at at the enquiry desk. Affairs Secretary Mike Gonzalez is selfish. We big unions can Said Dr. Rowell, “This is not spoke against the present exam- manage, but it is rougher on the Wednesday’s debate, so it was cancelled by Debates ACCIDENT an official position, and I hope ination system. smaller unions who are comple- Sec. Phil Kelly five minutes after it was due to start. A student was taken to Leeds students will feel free to bring His speech received wide pub- tely dependent on the federal A formal protest debate was their problems to me/' licity in the national press. In it, structure of NUS.” General Infirmary on Tuesday held in R.S.H., with Steve Meyer morning after falling from the in the chair. Also present were people waiting in the R.S.H., so I consulted all available mem fifth floor of the Henry Price Debates Committee member on to a parked car below. Bob Coward, and former Secre bers of the Committee, and we tary of Debates, Bob Triggs. decided to cancel the debate. I He was stated yesterday to be phoned Radio 270 three times, recovering from leg injuries The participants were ordered but they could only tell me that received as a result of the acci to leave R.S.H. They then Paul Burnett was on the way.” adjourned’ to Caf. where they dent. continued debating for over an hour. Motions included private members’ business from the original debate, and a motion of The Phonographe goes live censure on Debates Committee. On Thursday Bob Triggs stated “We intend m to censure the Chairman and possibly the Secretary at the VICTOR BROX and THE BLUE TRAIN next Debate. Said Debates Secretary Phil Kelly, “There were about 200 \WM LE PHONOGRAPHE" NEW COURSE 16 Merrion Centre, Leeds 2 TO START A course in Control Engineer ing leading to a B.Sc. Honours ★ Student Membership 10/6 degree wil be introduced in the Electrical and Mechanical Engin (Personal Application Only) Reproduction prints were stolen from the W.U.S. exhibition in the Union foyer eering departments next session. on Tuesday. They have not yet been recovered. It is aimed at satisfying a long standing industrial need, and will 'Ar FREE admission to all Student Members W.U.S. Secretary, Pam Pilsbury, said that the reproductions of fine art paintings every evening up to 10 p.m. were being replaced by the manufacturers at their own expense. “But this sort of include a major project involving thing reflects badly on Leeds students” she added. the use of an analogue computer during the final year. 2 U N IO N N EW S — Friday, December 2nd, 19^6 LETTERS N.U.S. Council in April when he will again U N IO N NEWS Dear Sir, try to get elected to the Executive. WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF LEEDS UNIVERSITY UNION Mr. Fergus Nicholson, the professional I have nothing against political pressure Telephone 39071 (Ext. 39) Communist Party worker in charge of groups. It just annoys me that such people student affairs was very busy in Margate as Mervyn Saunders, our President, should last week-end at the N.U.S. Council. be active in the R.S.A. and in my opinion 2nd, 1966 No.