DEBATING CONTEST,

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 996, 10 December 1910, Page 4

DEBATING CONTEST,

PARLIAMENTARY CHALLENGE SHIELD. ■ The final contest in the tournament between, the. societies affiliated in' the Wellington Debating Union was held in tie municipal Concert Chamber • last evening. The Mayor (Mr.T. M.'Wilford, M.P.) presided. Prominent in tho centre of the platform was the silver Parliamentary challenge shield, the reward of the victorious team. Mr. C. Wilson, M.A., acted as judge. The two societies concerned in the decisive debate were the Vivian Street Baptist Literary and Debating Society and the Victoria College Debating Society. The motion for debate was: "That the National Provident Fund Act, 1910, will result in a vast improvement to the con-' dition of the people." Mr. Hay led olf on the affirmative , side and was supported by tie other two Vivian Street debaters, Messrs. J. Townsend and C. J. Humphries. The Victoria College team, which upheld the negative opinion, consisted of Messrs; W. J. M'Eldowney, C; H. Taylor,.andD. S. Smith. . .'. ... .. ,

The judge, in announcing his award, said-there had been some fine debating,' and promising speakers had taken part,but he. thought the quality was not quite so high as on a previous occasion, when he iudged a debate at Victoria College. That was, perhaps, due to the gravity of the. problems discussed,-, which did not lend themselves ; to the' kind of oratory .that appealed most to an audience and indirectly, perhaps, _to a judge. m ThsL.wbiect3ad been" very clearly presented/"and "the points for and against well made. After giving some detailed criticisms, Mr. Wilson stated that in his judgment the shield should go to,the Vivian Street Society, He awarded marks'as*follow:— Vivian Street: Hay, matter 40, method 20, delivery 20, total 80; Townsend, matter 30, method 15, delivery 20, total 60'; Humphries, matter 30, method 20, delivery 20, total 70; combined treatment of subject by society, 20 out of a possible 25; total for society, 230. Victoria College: M'Eldowney,- matter 30, method 15, delivery 15,, total 60; Taylor, matter 20, method 12, delivery 12 total 44; Smith, matter '40, method 25, delivery 20, total 55; combined treatment of'subject by society 15 out of 25; total for society, 194. The result was received with applause.- ' The chairman, in handing tho shield to Mr. Hay, complimented both teame on- the quality of their debating and remarked that the judge's decision coincided with his own opinion.