The Henson Journals

[116]

Monday, March 23rd, 1931.

Sir William Marris came to see me: and we discussed together this queer tangle in Newcastle. He agreed with me in thinking that there was no ground for an appeal to the Visitor, as Professor Hutchence had been dismissed, not from his professorship, but from a lectureship, which was a merely collegiate appointment. He urged, however, that it would be proper & desirable that I should write to the College of Medicine, calling attention to the perturbation within the University and the scandal without, which could not but result from such arbitrary treatment of a teacher as it was alleged that the Professor had received, & urging that at least the cause of his dismissal should be stated. I am not quite convinced that this course would be advisable, but I cannot ignore the urgent solicitations of so many and such important members of the University. Whatever I do will certainly make me odious to many, and they the senior & more important members of the University. The time also is most inconvenient for term has just ended.

[117]

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I spent much of the morning in writing to the Secretary of the Archbishops' Commission on Church and State, giving reasons for my refusal to accept an invitation to attend and give evidence.

Charles and I motored to Spennymoor, where I confirmed 147 persons from the parishes of S. Paul's, Spennymoor, S. Andrew's, Tudhoe grange, Tudhoe, Waterhouses, and Merrington. The incumbents attended, and presented their candidates. The church was densely crowded; the attention was excellent; the singing indescribably bad, and the atmosphere asphyxiating. I asked Groser how Merryweather was going on; and he assured me that he was doing very well: that the people like him: and that his wife was fitting in well.

The newspapers report the wrecking of the Scottish express, which ran off the rails. Seven persons were killed. The extreme discontent of the railwaymen at the reduction of their wages, and the general consciousness that prosperity has definitely deserted the railways breed in the men a slackness & indifference which do undoubtedly facilitate accidents. There are fresh reports of acute disaffection among the miners, and audible threatenings of another national strike.

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