Barbaric Institution
There is no more barbaric institution, in my opinion, than tins speakers’ table. The other day I sat at one, purely because there was nowhere else to sit. I felt like a zebra on display in one of those modern zoos where there is nothing between the animal and the public but a nice ditch. There we were, perched in full
view, with only the microphone between us and a sea of faces. A microphone is no help conversationally when the gentlemen on either side of you are fidgeting with notes ... a little habit which many speakers have picked up. Why should speakers be lined up like a bunch of exhibits? Everyone will have a chance to see what they look like when they stand up to speak. The best plan wonl'l be not to force speakers to come to d’nners at all. They could arrive jujt in time for their little item, and could be fed, if they were hungry, in a private room when it was all over. A meal is fun, and a speech, at least for the speaker, is generally an ordeal. It seems not the best idea to try to mix them.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19370506.2.44
Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 188, 6 May 1937, Page 6
Word Count
199Barbaric Institution Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 188, 6 May 1937, Page 6
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