UNIVERSITY DEBATERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20263, 24 May 1929, Page 12

UNIVERSITY DEBATERS.

JEAM TO VISIT AMERICA.

VICTORIA COLLEGE STUDENTS. MANY CONTESTS ARRANGED. [BY telegraph.—own correspondent.] WELLINGTON, Thursday. Three Victoria University College students, Messrs. W. J. Hall, G. R. Powles and W. J. Mountjoy, will leavo Auckland on September 24 for Vancouver on a tour of the United States, where they will debate with a number of the universities.

Mr. W. J. Hall, M.A., took his master of arts degree with honours in history and is at present studying for tho LL.B. Ho won tho Union prize of the Victoria College Debating Society and represented tho college at its debates with the team from Bates College, Maine, which toured New Zealand. He is 28 years of age and an old boy of Wellington College. . Mr. G. R. Powles, LL.B., also received his secondary education at Wellington College. He won a university scholarship and is now completing tho course for an arts degree. He represented Victoria College against the American debaters in 1928 and also at the New Zealand University tournament last Easter. He is practising as a barrister and solicitor. Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, the youngest of the party, is 21 years of age and already has a distinguished platform record. In September lie won the coveted I'lunket Medal for oratory and tied for the honour of being tho best speaker at tho inter-college debate in Dunedin this year. A former pupil of the New Plymouth Boys' High School, ho at present holds a position as an assistant lecturer at the Wellington Teachers' Training College. Messrs. Hall, Powles and Mountjoy will be the first debating team from any university in the Dominion to undertake an overseas tour. The project is the result of an invitation from tho National Students' Federation of America to the Victoria College Debating Society to send a team of three representatives to meet the chief universities of America. Although a detailed itinerary has not yetbeen received here, the invitation stated that if it were accepted debates would be held against at least 25 institutions. The debaters will close their American tour on December 14. There is a possibility that some of the Canadian universities will receive a visit from tho New Zealandcrs.