ST. ANDREW'S DEBATING SOCIETY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 13091, 3 June 1913, Page 7

ST. ANDREW'S DEBATING SOCIETY.

INFLUENCE OF THE PRESS.

"That the Press wields a beneficial influence, morally and intellectually," was the subject of an interesting and animated discussion at the fortnightly meeting of St. Andrew's Literary and Debating Society last night. There was a good attendance, the Rev. W. Grant presiding. The subject was opened up by Mi F. C. Perry, who claimed that the press had and "did wield a moral and intellectual influence through being instrumental in arousing public feeling' against social evils, so that they were remedied, and through being the disseminator of all information.

Mr J. Williams ably argued on the other side, contending that the press might be the medium for good if it were not for private enterprise, and he urged that the press was controlled by public opinion owing to monetary considerations ; therefore it was unable i£>fulfil its functions.

In supporting the affirmative, Mr J. Dawson went back 400 years, . and referred to the important part the press had filled in connection with civilisation and in raising nations from degradadation. In reply to this, Mr A. W. I Moodie argued that the press did not cater for those things 'which tended to the moral betterment of the public. There were several other speakers on both sides, those who supported the affirmative being Mr Maunder, Dr. Porter, Messrs Downs and F. R. Ball, and those who spoke in the negative were 'Messrs . Vowles, Etherington, Petheridge, and Amid. On going to the vote, the motion was carried by 23 to 10. Impromptu speeches and a musical programme appear on the card for next Monday week.