"VARSITY ORATORS."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 134, 9 June 1938, Page 10

"VARSITY ORATORS."

1 TRIENNIAL CONTEST.

WELLINGTON SUCCESS.

AUCKLAND LADY SECOND

Competing in the University College Iliill last night for the medal presented by Lord Bledisloe in 1932 for triennial competition between Xeiv Zealand university orators, young speakers from 1 the five university organisations of the Dominion at times reached heights of eloquence. The general standard also; was high. By a narrow margin, Mr. J. B.! Aimers, of Victoria College, who spoke! on the life of Wiremu Tainehana, the Maori kingmaker, was the winner. The Wellington student stood only one point ahead of the first Auckland representative, Miss Hilda Gorrie, whose subject

Mr J. B. Aimers.

nas "The Miis-aere of the I'oyd." Third

I mkl fourth | I'.if s were filled l>v Miss | 15. ( tihiil (Auckland) and Mr. Kingi |Tahiwi (Victoria 1 College), who spoke !on "Tin' Siege of Orakau" and , "Te I Rao'iaraha'' respectively. | "Tlie winner delivered a splendidly I viril° and vigorous speech, admirable in j matter ni:d anangement, excellent in | choice of language," said Mr. J. W. Show, one of the judges. "The difference hot.wen his effort and Miss Gorrie's, I however, was something less than one point." The other judges wore Mr. D. i Johns and the Rev. F. de Li si:-. Mr. A. P. Blair, president of the New Zealand University Students' Association, was chairman. Mr. Shaw commented for the judges 111-31 nil the speakers showed merit, but four, of the five North Island orators were outstanding. The subjects chosen by the placed students, because they dealt with Maori characters, lent themselves to more picturesqne delivery than those of the southerners, who spoke in biographical and economic vein. An entertaining address was given by the Massey College representative, Mr. R. D. Bainford, who infused humour into his dissertation on the introduction of the Jersey cow to Xew Zealand. The Auckland representatives did well in competition with the Wellington speakers, who had the advantage of deeper tones ta lend effect to their orations. It is surprising that Auckland, a college with approximately 1000 students, the majority of whom are men, could not find a male entrant for the contest, which is recognised as one of the greatest distinctions obtainable in the New Zealand University. Misses Gorrie and Cahill, however, were worthy representatives of the college. At the conclusion of the contest the audience were reminded of the coining < visit of a team of American negro debaters, from Le Movne University. I