DEBATING SOCIETIES.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 9, 10 July 1909, Page 3

DEBATING SOCIETIES.

THE TOURNAMENT. The first round of the fifth annual debating tournament held under the auspices of the Wellington Provincial Literary and Debating Societies' Union will take place on Monday next, at 8 p.m. A record number of ten entries has been received for the tournament, and as the various societies are represented by well-known and capable debaters, some interesting contests are looked for. Several alterations, which should tend to improvement, have this year been made m the rules governing the contests. All debates in each round will take place on the same night, and will be on the same subject, and, while hitherto it has been the rule for a society to withdraw from the contest when once beaten, no society will now retire until it has suffered two defeats. In the second round winning societies will compete with each other, and losing societies each other. This will continue until only one society is left in the contest which has not lost a debate, and that society will be deemed to havo won the tournament. The subject for Monday's debate is "That it is necessary for Great Britain to maintain the two-Power naval standard." The following societies will take part in the tournament, the firstnamed taking the affirmative in each case, and, with the exception of the debate between the Victoria College and St. John's Societies, which will be held in St. John's Schoolroom, the debates will take place in the rooms of the firstmentioned society :— St. Hilda's (Island Bay) v. V.M.C.A. ; Vivian-street (Baptist) v. Taranaki-street (Wesleyan) ; Victoria College v. St. John's , Brooklyn (Baptist) v. Wellington Catholic Club. Messrs. J. W. Black, A. L. Herdman, M.P., Granvdle Hunt, and F. M. B. Fisher, M.P., will act as judges of the respective debates. The contest which was to have taken place between the Karori and St. Anne's societies has been won by the former society by default. By a lurge majority List evening the St. John's Literary and Debating Society decided, "That it is necessary for Great Britain to maintain a two-Power naval standard." Messrs. iF. Redgrave and L. Andrew affirmed the motion, whilst Messrs. C. Redgrave and H. Thompson opposed it. The principals were followed hy six others, all of whom were in favour of a two-Power naval standard. Mr. J. 'Boal replied to the affirmativo speakers. Mr. >Boal, with the leader and seconder on the negative side, will be the representatives of St. John's against. ■Victoria College next Monday evening. Dr. G-ibb, tho chairman, criticised some of the speakers, and placed the five most effective in the following order : — Messrs. M. lOalloway, H. Dowdy, \L. 'Andrew, H. Newberry, and D. Patterson, the speakers on the negative side not being judged. A debate took place last evening, afc the V.M.C.A. rooms, on the subject, "That military training should be made compulsory to all males over 18 yeais of age. ' Mr. R. Brown occup : ed tiu: chair. Mr. A. E. Budd, in a spieih of fifteen minutes, opened in the affirmative, emphasising tho need of training in case of invasion. Mr. N. E. Dickenson opposed. He dealt particularly with the idea of encouraging rifle clubs to a greater extent. Several speakers followed the leaders, both for and against the proposal. On a vote being taken, the motion was carried by a small majority. On Monday night, the V.M.C.A. meet St. Hilda's, Island Bay, in the first of the union debates. Next Friday the society will havo an evening on "Selections from favourite authors."