ORATORY CONTEST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23059, 9 June 1938, Page 16

ORATORY CONTEST

THE BLEDISLOE MEDAL WELLINGTON SUCCESS AUCKLAND LADY SECOND HISTORICAL THEMES CHOSEN Kino speakers from five university institutions took part in the third triennial oratorial contest last night for the medal founded and endowed by Lord Bledisloe. The speeches were delivered in the Auckland University College Hall before a large audience, and the winner of the contest, which was very close, proved to be Mr. J. B. Aimers, of Victoria University College, Wellington, who chose as his subject the life of Wiremu Tamehana, the Maori kingmaker The two ladies who represented Auckland University College wero placed second and third respectively. Under the conditions of the award, competitors' orations must be upon some great man or woman connected with New Zealand, or some outstanding incident in New Zealand historv. The contest was judged by Mr. J. W. Shaw, Mr. Dennis Johns and the Rev. F. de Lisle, and Mr. A. P. Blair, president of the New Zealand University Students' Association acted as chairman.

Winner's Speech Praised The judges, who expressed the opinion that the speeches of the Auckland and Victoria University College representatives were outstanding, made the following award of points:— Mr. J. B. Aimers, Victoria University College, "Wiremu Tamehana," 85 points, 1. Miss Hilda Gorrie, Auckland University College, "The Massacre of the Boyd," 84 points, 2. Miss Brig. Cahill, Auckland University College, "The Siege of Orakau," 82 points, 3. Mr. Kingi Tahiwi. Victoria University College, "Te Rauparalia," 80 points, 4. In announcing the award, Mr. Shaw said that a decision had been difficult, for all the speakers had some merit. Some of them had found it hard to begin and others had found it unconscionably hard to end. The contest between the four leaders had been very close, and as a result the judges had had to pool all their marks in each instance. Mr. Aimers had delivered a splendidly virile and vigorous speech, admirable in matter ana arrangement, and excellent in choice of language, phrasing and delivery. The difference between Miss Gorrie and the winner was actually something less than one point. Maori and Pakeha The medal was presented to Mr. Aimers by Professor W. Anderson, president of the Auckland University College Debnting Society, who congratulated him on behalf of the society and the college. A significant feature of the contest was that the Wellington and Auckland competitors all took subjects bearing upon the Maori period of New Zealand history and lending themselves to romantic and picturesque treatment. Three of the South Islanders selected biographical topics and the fourth chose to deal with the advent of tho Labour Government.

The sole representative of Massey College, Mr. R. I). Bamford, elected to speak on tho introduction of the Jersey cow into New Zealand. Alone among the speakers he enlivened his therno with a little humour, which it obviously required, but the stock of facts suitablo for inclusion in a set speech proved rather limited. Mr. Aimers sketched the life of the Maori kingmaker in a style which was easy and pleasant, without lacking seriousness. Ho began by picturing with a few deft strokes the peaceful landscape of the Waikato in its "Golden age," about, the year 1850, when the Maoris were farming their lands, From this point ho traced tho rise of the king movement, Wiremu Tamehana's vain efforts to bring about an understanding between the pakeha and his own people, and his death under the shadow of disappointment. Massacre ol the Boyd Tho speaker ended by drawing a modern parallel between Tamehana and Haili Selassie. Pathos and-logic, he said, were blended in tho appeals which each leader had made in the cause of peace.

In her description of the massacre of the Boyd, Miss Gorrie created the atmosphere of tragedy and infused more emotion into her tale than any other speaker, although Miss Cahill reached nearly the same height. Mr. - Tahiwi made good use of gesture and did full justice to the early achievements of Te Bauparaha, but unfortunately loft his hero in mid-career.

Mr. W. J. Meade, of Otago University, who spoke on Lojrd Rutherford of Nelson, made good use of an unusually deep voice. A panegyric on the Rev. Thomas Burns, the spiritual father of Otago, by Mr.* L. W. Woods, suffered from having a limited rather than a general appeal. Mr. J. Garrett, of Canterbury College, gave a matter-of-fact account of tho late Dr. L. Cockayne's achievements in tho field of botany, and Mr. M. Jermyn, the other Canterbury representative, found that nervousness hampered his efforts to discuss the political rise of Labour.