ORATORY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 331, 19 October 1908, Page 6

ORATORY.

ANNUAL COMPETITION. HONOURS FOR VICTORIA COLLEGE. It is natural that the university should furnish a large proportion of the orators of a State, since the orator is made as well ae born. Victoria College has shown appreciation of its duty in this respect by winning the debating contest promoted by the Wellington Provincial Literary and Debating Societies' Union, and again, in the person of Mr. J. M. Hogben, winning the oratorical competition held by the same body. Mr. Hogbon's success was achieved on Saturday night, in tho Municipal Concert Hall. A fairly large audience heard his address, and the .Mayor (the Hon. T. W. Hislop) wa& in the chair. ' Altogether there were seven champions of as many societies. Mr. J. Caughley, of Karori, who was to have lield forth oc V, was unwell, and did not speak. The other candidates indulged in paeans of hero-worship on such diverse personalities as W llliam Wilberforce, Sir George Grey, Gene ral Gordon, Henry George, Lincoln, and Garibaldi.

■]. Reichel (Catholic Club) droned a Magnificat for Wilberforce in a preaching tone, which several of tho other advocates fell into naturally. His address was well thought out and well arranged, but it had too obviously beeu memorised. His enunciation, also, was some times indistinct. Mr. C. J. Nicklin (Y.M.C.A.) proclaimed his admiration or Sir George Grey, "the greatest man who has had to do with the moulding of tho destinies of this young country." His style was not so fluent as his predecessor's, but his tone was less parsoni* cat, and his enunciation was better. His remarks, however, wcro for the most pari fairly obvious, and the judge (Mr. Glanviils Hicks) counted 23 sentences which ' began with "and."

Mr. J. S. Barton (Kent Terraco) recited a finished little essay on "General Gordon." This was tho most artistic performance of the, evening, but its excellence was rather literary than oratorical, and Mr. Barton's • enunciation was faulty. He dealt with Gordon in three "pictures"—as the knight without reproach, in China ; 'the philanthropist, in England; and the combination of hot! characters, in Egypt. Mr. M. O'Kane (Single Tax League), wha lauded Henry George, spoke in more extemporary fashion than his predecessors, and his whole-hearted enthusiasm for the subject was vigorously, if sometimes roughly, expressed. Mr. O'Kane was somewhat hampered by a standard," which he mado hir hero raise or j unfurl or plant at every crisis of his career.

Mr. F. Redgrave (St. John's) made a gallant eulogy of Abraham Lincoln, introducing exceptional variety into his elocu. tion, and avoiding the appearance of mera recitation. His summary of Lincoln's career was, howovcr, superficial. Mr. J. M. Hogben (Victoria College) gave a spirited account of Garibaldi, whose qualities and importance he contrived' to sum up, ill concluding, with an effectiveness riot attained by any . other speaker. His, chief fault was a tendency to pause and balance 011 some unimportant syllable, while groping for a phrase which often poorly rewarded tho delay. Mr. A. N. Proctor (Vivian Street 'Bap. tist) dealt with Goneral Gordon in a mannei uninspired and somewhat jerky. ■

The Verdict. Mr. Glanville Hicks, in announcing t!id result" of tho competitions, deplored tlir tendency to commit speeches to memory. That tendency had beon shown before, and lie thought that the system of the competi. tions should be changed in some degree ta prevent it. He condemned the ecclesiastical . monotone' arid utter absenco of modulation that liar marked many of the speeches. Expression' such as "oAr' r'Australian steamers,", n " t a' w natmosphere," and "Chiner" wore also 1 subject' of "complaint. Mr.' Hicks announced that he had awarded points aa follow: — Messrs.. J. M. Hogben 76, M.. O'Kane 71, F. Redgrave 70, C. J. Nicklin, and J. S. Barton 60, L. T. -Reichel 65, and A. N. Proctor CO. ' - ■ Sir Robert Stout's Address. Sir Robert Stout, patron of the union, presented the diploma won by Victoria College in tho dobatmg' tournament, and diploma due for Mr. Hogben's success, together with ( the gold medal awarded to Mr., Rogben. In a brief address lie urged young men to take an interest in public life. In the earlier days of this country, men did not wait so long as now before engaging in civic duties. He had been only 24 years old when ho first took a prominent part in polities, and at 26 he was a momber of the Provincial Council, which was virtually a State parliament. The futuro of New Zealand rested with its young mon, they must be its leaders in civic life and , higher politics, and he hoped that they would rocognise that the highest function they oould fill was to take part in civic life. It was all very well to be good footballers—he had been ■ a footballer himself till he was 30, but that. was not the highest function of a young man —kicking a ball. He hoped that the young men would recognise that they had a duty to perform to their country, and that they would take a true interest in every political question, and try to follow the examples of soma of tho loaders they had heard about that, night. _ If they would set truth first and' patriotism highest, and think less of themselves than l of their country,, if they were inspired by right ideals, he believed that-they would have in this young country the highest form of Government possible. He did not think that there could be any better training for that life than the meeting together of tho members of the different societies and their mutual recognitor of, one another as brothers and fellow-citizens. , For the consolation of tho societies which had not won tho competition, Sir Robert expressed his opinion tliat a number of these contained as good material as did Victoria College.