PUBLIC SPEAKING

Evening Post, Issue 20, 23 July 1935, Page 3

PUBLIC SPEAKING

AID TO BUSINESS MEN

The value to a business man of an ability to speak fluently in public was mentioned by Mr. E Casey, Assistarrt General Manager of Railways in an address to the Wadestown and Highland Park Men's Society. To anyone So, like himself, had often to address groups of men in the business world in explanation and persuasion, said Mr Casey, the ability to make s i fluent speech was very important Forjucn as he himself possessed he had to thank debating societies, whidi he regarded as valuable training grounds. Mr. Casey recalled the advice of a prominent member of the English Parliament, Henry Labouchere tc.the effect that a speaker should think of the opening and closing sentences of his address, and bring them as nearly as possible together; in short, that brevity was to be the aim of a finished speaker, not discursiveness. . His advice was that certain factors which assisted the speaker with an audience were to be carefully considered; he must know his subject well and be sincere in his remarks. These must be put forward not dogmatically but persuasively in an appeal to reason. The speaker must pay due regard to voice modulation. Emphasis was gained by stressing, either by raising or lowering the voice or by a long effective pause. Above all, to convince an audience and not antagonise it, arguments must not b& hurled at At the conclusion of the address Mr. Casey illustrated his remarks by two short speeches, the subjects of which were suggested to him by the audience. The first one was "All Men are Liars and the second one "Brevity is the Soul of Wit." At the conclusion of these Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., moved a hearty vote of thanks, expressing the enjoyment the meeting had derived from Mr. Casey's speeches. Musical items were rendered by Messrs. Roy Hill and J. Withers, the accompanist being Mr. B. Withers.