Page 3 Advertisements Column 4

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10538, 13 August 1912, Page 3

A debate was held last week between the St Paul's Society, represented by Miss Robertson and Messrs Livingstone and T. W. Reese (leader), and the Hcathcotc Literary and Debating Sociotv, represented by Miss Grant and Messrs H. W. Laing and W. G. Stewart (leader). The judge, Mr Corley, declared the Heathcoto Society to be tho winners by thirteen points. A still further decline in the birthrate is recorded in the official statistics for 1911 regarding tho population of France. The number of deaths surpassed that of the births by 34,869, the latter being the lowest yet recorded in France. Oir the other hand, the number _of marriages, 307,778, is a slight increase' on the figures of 1910,. but divorce has kept pace with this increase, the figures (13,058) being also higher than they were in the preceding year. Tho Loyal Good Intent Lodge of Oddfellows held its sixth social in the Akaroa llnll on Thursday. Tho function was quite as successful as its predecessors. The first part of the evening was devoted to elocution, a number of performers competing for a prize. The winner was Mr H. N. Armstrong. After simper a danco was held.