DEBATING CONTEST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21347, 23 November 1932, Page 11

DEBATING CONTEST

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

WELLINGTON RETAIN TROPHY

OTTAWA CONFERENCE RESULTS

The. Joynfc Scroll Jor debating was retained by Victoria College, Wellington, a3 the result of an inter-university debating contest, under the auspices of the New Zealand National Union of Students, held in the Town Hall last evening. The Mayor of Auckland, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, presided and welcomed the visiting teams. The subject debated was a motion that the agreements reached between Britain and New Zealand at Ottawa should be ratified. The winning team, which spoke in the affirmative, comprised Miss C. S. Ford and Mr. H. R. Bannister, the latter being adjudged the best debater in the contest. It was opposed by the Auckland University College team, Messrs. K. H. Melvin and W. L. Barker. Canterbury College and Otago University were the other competitors, the former being represented by Messrs. I. F. G. Milner and E. K. Cook, who supported the motion, and the latter by Messrs. J. C. Mowat and E. S, Tuckwell.

Support for Agreementfr Thcre was a lfyge attendance of students and the public and amusement was caused

from time to time by good-natured heckling. The debaters, however, were well able to hold their own and displayed their *" experience in platform oratory. The judges \ of the contest were Canon W. Fancourt, Rev. Dr. 11. Ranston and Messrs. E. H. Northcroft and T. U. Wells.

It was contended by speakers, for the affirmative that, in relation to the proposed world economic conference, the Ottawa Conference was an omen for good. New Zealand had therefore done her duty to the world by reaching agreement at Ottawa. The conference aimed at lowering tariffs, and that was a policy which would lead the world out of the depression. The advantages gained by New Zealand at Ottawa were very real. In all, preferences had been given by Britain to 72 per cent of New Zealand's export trade, an estimated increase in the Dominion's export revenue of £2,5C0,000 a year. The only concession made by New Zealand in return was to forgo a 2£ per cent protection on confectionery, the "other so-called concessions having been contemplated by the Government prior to the Ottawa Conference. Lowering Tariff Barriers It was submitted that planning for the future was essential in modern times and the conference was an earnest endeavour to plan made by the best brains of the . Empire. It was not true that New Zealand would suffer by finding foreign markets alienated and closed to her, because her exports to foreign countries were almost negligible. Britain had not askeci New Zealand to sell meat at an artificial price that might prove disadvantageous to the Dominion, but had merely asked her not to swamp the market. The vindication of Ottawa was that not only had it sought to lower tariff barriers in the Empire, but it had tended to lower world,trade barriers. New Zealand and Britain, more . than any Other country, depended on external trade for their welfare, and they, therefore, stood to gain the most from an unshackling of world trade- It had been said that the agreements would ruin the secondary industries of the Dominion, but this was not true, as had been shown by the public utterances of the manufacturers representatives. . . Those who spoke against the ratification of the agreements said they were based on the principle of trying to make the Empire a self-contained economic unit, whicii was not possible. The agreements had raised tariffs and were perpetuating a system of pernicious nationalism, lney had strangled any hope of success for the world conference. The whole scheme must end in disaster.

Substitutes lor Butter The cost of living in England must inevitably increase, and the English public would not be able to- purchase tha Dominion's products so freely as formerly. With a higher price for such commodities as butter, energies would ba turned to developing cheaper substitutes.It would be impossible to establish new: secondary industries in New Zealand, and if British goods were permuted to swamp the New Zealand market existing Dominion industries would, have to close No'conference, it was contended, had ended so drearily and disappointingly as the Ottawa Conference. The agreements had not only split the Cabinets of Britain and Australia, but had caused the manufacturers of the Empire to rise and protest with a single voice. They had precipitated industrial unrest in Britain, and struck a blow at the secondary industries of New Zealand, which should be - developed so as to absorb the Dominion s unemployed youths. In announcing the winning team, Mr. Northcroft, on behalf of the judges, congratulated all the speakers, and said tha standard of debating, without exception, was high. The Joynt Scrolls which is » silver scroll mounted on a shield, was handed by the Mayor to Miss Ford. Tha trophy was presented 30 years ago by Mr. W. J. Joynt, now of London, for competition among the university £olleges.