DEBATE

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 June 1912, Page 7

DEBATE

TRINITY B v. MUTUAL B.

The debate between the Trinity B team and the Mutual Improvement JB team took place last evening in Trinity Hall, before a somewhat meagre attendance, due no doubt to the bad weather prevailing. Mr W. Gilbert acted as judge, and Archdeacon York occupied the chair. The subject, “That the English speak-, big peoples are degenerating,” was a very good one indeed, and the various speakers did very well in putting forth their various arguments for and against the proposition. . The team representing the Trinity B was Messrs Widdup (leader), Smart, Herring and Bromley. The Mutual was represented by Messrs Meredith (leader), F. Barrowman, Desmond and Osborne. The debate brought out many tendencies of the Anglo-Saxon peoples, which are at present exercising the greatest men of our nation as well as the great men of the United States, and even the mind ot any ordinary thinking man or woman must bo arrested if he or she dwells for a moment on these tendencies which, if not counteracted, will ere long sap the greatness which has up till now characterised the Anglo-Saxon. . The speakers, in the negative admitted these tendencies, but hoped that they will be remedied ; let us hope so.

The debate was a most informative one, and the judge in awarding first place to the Mutual B team by 341 points to 333 points, complimented both sides on the way they , had set out their arguments, and he said that clubs which could send out such good speakers in a B team must be well oft in the matter of good debaters. The Mutual side deserved their win, but the losers must be complimented on the good fight, they put up, as there werp three speakers who were making their first appearance in public.