THE NUISANCE OF NOISE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 20 April 1922, Page 3

THE NUISANCE OF NOISE.

OBSTRUCTING A DEBATE

ROWDY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

In travellers' tales we frequently read that the making of weird, fearsome, and uncouth noises is part of the warlike equipment of barbarians and savages who inhabit the dark places of the earth. Noise—as distinct from the harmony beloved of our cultured ears —is the main feature of Australian corrohoree, Red Indian pow-wow, Maori korero, or African ju-ju; and the theory has been advanced that as mankind descends the scale, so does his capacity for noise increase, both in volume and in range of horrid sound. It was therefore somewhat of a- surprise to the audience that filled the Town Hall concert chamber on Saturday evening to listen to the inter-Varsity debating contest, to discover that some of the students of the Auckland University were frankly atavistic in^- accoustios. Carried away by circumstances which remotely suggested the tribal camp-fire and the harangues of the chiefs, the young bloods of the 'Varsity sought to do their part in providing a running chorus of yelps, yowls, groans growls, and any other sound of which a debased larynx is capable. They had a good mnings before the business of the evening commenced, as the Mayor who was in the chair, was delayed in arrival. Cat-calls, choruses, concerted sneezes, war cries, hakas, waiatas, vocal pleasantries and familiarities, presumably designed to entertain the audience were the^rder of the night. The students loudly and unitedly saluted notabilities who were present; they emphasised the depths of their comradely feelings by comments of an explosive order • i programmes and newspapers were freely ' used as weapons of jocularity; and to demonstrate their versatility they ascended the platform a la crocodile' and "treated each other from the chairman's water-bottle and tumbler, i Flushed by their success as an over-' ture they sought to monopolise the'

whole programme when the debates commenced. The first three speakers were bombarded with a vocal barrage which made their task a heavy one and hindered the hearing of the audience. A lire of running interjections attended each utterance. Newspapers were ostentatiously and noisily spread and folded; a little bell was consistently tintinnabulated; and any verbal peg sufficed on which to hang a turbulent interruption Amused; at first, then tolerant, then surfeited by these displays of primitive humour, the audience supported the quelling efforts of the chairman, Mr J htanton. city solicitor, who occupied that position until the Mayor arrived. Ihe climax was reached during the third speech, when, after a particularly raucous outburst, three members of the audience made a hostile demonstration against the disturbers which resulted in their temporary profound silence. This action was warmly supported by the Mayor who had then taken the chair, and after a few disgruntled ejaculations the whole of the noisy brigade rose from their seats and crept sheepishly from the hall, when, by the order of the chairman, the door was at once closed and secured. Peace thereafter reigned. While the judges were considering their verdict, some members of -the audience made reference to the behaviour of the rowdy students. Mr J U Dickinson said it was unfair that the nrst speakers should have 'been interrupted while the others had been allowed a free course. The chairman pointed out that at such gatherings a great deal of latitude, had to be allowed. It was a matter of discretion and judgment when theiimit had been reached, and he thought they had reached the limit that evening The- ruling of. the chair had to be recoil nised. n. ■ ° . J^--, P-. A- de la Mare-said that he noticed with regret the growing amount of unseemly interruption which had attended debates in recent years. Such interruption at a debate was equivalent to walking on a tennis court while* a match was in progress or jostling an athlete on the running track. Other comments made indicated that the general feeling was that, while som® allowance might be made for youthful exuberance, there was no doubt thathad any attempt been made m any of the tournament athletic contests to foul, trip, or obstruct a contestant these same youm? sportsmen would have been the first to rightly protest, but they apparently did not recognise the same principles of fair play when so difficult an achievement of mind and tongue as a debating contest was in progress. It is pleasing to record that the three speakers who suffered most from interruptions ranked very highly on the adjudicators' decision cards. Referring to the action of the noisy element in leaving the hall when rebuked by the chairman, Mr. N. R. TV Thomas, Auckland's tournament delegate, said that when one or two senseless rowdies got Tip and left the ban others blindly followed. Many, htfwever, went out on the anderstandmg that it was time to go to a dance, which had been arranged for the latter part of the evening.—Auckland Star. , = i