DEBATING FESTIVAL.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 491, 6 September 1915, Page 9

DEBATING FESTIVAL.

SECOND COMPETITION, The second annual debating festival was opened at the Y.M.C.A. on Saturday evening by the Mayor, Mr H. Holland. Mr W. Goss, president, said it was expected that the entries would not be so good as last year's, on account of the many young men away at the war, but he was pleased to say that the number of competitors exceeded expectations, in that they equalled those of the previous year, it was well known that debating was an excellent mental exercise, and the annual festival was a stimulus to the clubs. The judges, Mr Eowe and Mr- Salter, debating and elocutionary respectively, were introduced, and briefly addressed the audience.

In declaring the festival open the Mayor said he was glad to support anything which tended to the moral eleva-

tioii of fche young people. He thought it a pity that the Christehurch Literary and Musical Society had not announced sooner that no competitions would be held this year,_as several more competitors would have entered for. the debating competitions. He was pleased to see that the competitions would be finishing earlier in the evenings this year, thus giving the young people an opportunity, to _do justice to their items. Debating helped hi the making of good citizens, as it induced study and reading, and it was deserving, of every encouragement. * The Mayor was* aceorded,.a vote of thanks at the conclusion of his address. The first sections of the '' serious recitation," Dickens character sketch, and speech from any eminent orator (juniors) were taken, and the finals will be heard during the week. The junior impromptu speech attracted seven entrants, the subjects being '' Propose the Toast of our Soldiers at the Dardanelles." /The result was as follows:

A. H. Paterson (St. Paul's) .. .. 1 V. K. Eule (Technical) and W. B. Lascelles (University), equal .. '2 i In making his award,' the judge said ' that the fault with most competitors •-. was that they failed to keep to the subject. Of the competitors, Mr A. H.-Pat- ' erson alone remembered throughout his,, speech that he was/proposing a toast:-" The club points for the evening were: " St. Paul's ".. 5 , -» Technical .: 2 University .. 2 , The competitions will be throughout the week, this evening being .:' devoted to the senior debate, the subject'' being '' That in any rearrangement of v the map of Europe, the principle 6f fv nationality should be the dominating _-. consideration." Teams-representing St. ' Paul's (2), Y.M.C.A.. (2), and Technical will be competing. v