LABOUR DEBATING CLUB

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23731, 11 February 1939, Page 18

LABOUR DEBATING CLUB

ALICE HERBERT TROPHY

The first round of the Otago Labour Debating Club's competition for the Alice Herbert Trophy was concluded last week-end. The debates were held in the Left Book Club rooms and were well attended by the public. The subject "That New Zealand can be insulated against a worldwide depression," gave ample scope to the 16 teams entered, and a diversity of argument was produced from the speakers, representative of affiliations to the Otago Labour Representation Committee. One pleasing feature of the competition was the number of youthful speakers who engaged in debate for the first time. The standard throughout was particularly high, and, as the judge remarked, a credit to the club. The finalists selected to debate in the concluding competitions are: — Anderson's Bay and Tainui A (Messrs J. Harrison, W. Taylor and F. Gibbons), Dunedin North B (Messrs B. O'Donnell and I. Powell and Mrs H. Bullen), West Harbour B (Messrs S. Calder, J. Cordell and A. Rawlings, sen.), Otago General Labourers' Union A (Messrs R. Harrison, G. Martin and J. Cleary), and West Harbour A (Messrs A. . J. McDonald, R. Pratlet and A. Raw-

lings, jun). The best individual debaters were selected as follows: — Messrs W. Taylor, J. Harrison, B. O'Donnell and F. McLeod. The judge, Mr E. R. Grace, complimented the club on the high standard achieved and on the efficient method with which the competition had been conducted. His difficulty had been to separate the teams. The president, Miss M. A. Egan, expressed thanks to the judge, the supper committee, and to the donor of the trophy, Mrs A. Herbert, who had attended throughout the debates. The subject selected for the final competition is, "That the German claim for the return of the colonies is a just one."