The Spike or Victoria College Review, June 1908
Debating Society
Debating Society
"There are a sort of men whose visages
Do cream and mantle like a standing pond,
And do a willful stillness entertain,
With purpose to be dressed in an opinion
Of wisdom, gravity, profound conceit
As who should say 'I am Sir Oraceit,
And when I poe my lips, let no dog bark !'
O my Antonio, I do know of those
That therefore only are reputed wise
For saying nothing."
—Merchant of Venice. Act I.
The work of this Society continues to be attended with success, and the speaker of 1908 addresses greater audiences than those of previous year have been permitted to inspire, to instruct, or to amuse. Each debate has attracted sufficient speakers to fill the whole time allotted for discussion, and a great number of students have taken their first plunge into the sea of rhetoric which beats upon the walls of Victoria College.
The Committee desires to place on record in The Spike its keen appreciation of the fact that, to adopt the language of the Annual Report, though there was a time when the ladies took a very active part in the meetings of the Society, that time has not gone by. The part which the ladies have played in the activities of the Society this term has been a very distinguished one. We need add nothing to what is constantly said concerning the uses of the Society to lady students, namely, that in the discussion which can be satisfactorily filled by them only. It was into the domains of literature that Victoria College the rhetorical art, so closely allied to the literary, is to remain for them a terra incognita.
With the object of providing facilities for the practice of debating amongst the lady students, a proposal has been set on foot for the formation of a branch society, whose meetings they alone will be allowed to attend. A committee has been set up and a constitution agreed on, and before these lines are in print the first meeting will doubtless have been held. We wish the ladies every success in their new venture.
In another part of this issue the University Tornament Debate is recorded, the result being that for the third year in succession the Joynt Challenge Scroll remains within our College. Let it be the aim of every member,—for it is upon every member that the standard reached by the Society as a whole depends—do his or her part to see that the Scroll never leaves our College, except on occasional Easter holiday visits to Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin.
At the end of April there was, it appears, a mild stir in some quarters of the College by reason of the exhibition of a notice calling upon students to do their part, by way of careful preparation to contribute to the success of the Society's meetings. Some students seemed of regard the notice as arrogant in its terms, and, in deference to their attitude, we desire here to say that the Committee acted with a due sense of responsibility and in the proper course of its duty to further the interests of the Society. The notice was never intended to deter anyone from addressing the Society, but if it has unfortunately and that effect upon some, let us refer them, by way of counter—deterrent, to the advice quoted above from the works of one William Shakespeare.
At the first meeting of the Society, the motion was "That England was justified in undertaking the Transvaal War." The mover were H. E. Evans and E. E. Rutherfurd, and the opposers C. H. Taylor and A. MacDougall. The movers outlined the history of the settlements in South Africa, and sough to draw from the relation between Boer and Briton, and from the importance off he questions in issue, justification for the conquest and absorption of the two Republics. But the audience was not in a charitable mood, and was induced by the arguments of the opposition to look with suspicion upon the assurances of the movers. Taylor, in particular, made a very great impression, and the place awarded him in the competition was well deserved. Jamieson's speech would doubtless have been better appreciated if our intellectual faculties were far more rapid in their operation—or his flow of language he may very well Fitzgibbon, who judged, placed the first five speakers as follows :—C. H. Taylor, J. Mason, D. S. Smith, R. Kennedy, and F. Boyce.
In the second debate, held on April 25th, A. C. Bretherton, supported by K. McGrath, moved "That naval supremacy is the only effective defence of the Empire. "The opposers were J. M. Hogben and M. H. Oram—No less than six new speakers were in evidence at this debate, one of them being placed. The motion was badly mutilated, particularly at the hands of its own supporters, and there was on the whole an evident lack of knowledge of the subject, and a display of much knowledge of other subjects. R. Mason appeared in a new aspect and adopted an unusually "supercilious" style. Mr. von Haast placed the the first five speakers as follow :—F. Armit, R. Mason, J. M. Hogben, L Short, and M. H. Oram. His remarks upon the debate are recorded in the minute book kept by the Secretary, who will be happy to allow perusal by any member of the Society without fee or reward. The motion was lost by 10 votes to 24.
At the third meeting, held on May 9th, V. B. Willis, supported by T. Boyce, moved "That a system of profit—sharing is a satisfactory solution of the labour problem."R. Mason, seconded by Miss W. Mellsop, opposed. There were, in all, five new speakers on this occasion, one of them (J. D. Smith) gaining second place, and another (Miss W. Mellsop) not competing, a fact which must have contented members who are seeking to accumulate points for the Society's prizes. The according to V. B. Willis, R. Mason, and J. S. Mill. The motion was lost by 10 votes to 19. Mr. T. R. Fleming, who judged the debate, placed the first five speakers as follows: — J. Mason, J. D. Smith, C. h. Taylor, T, Boyce, and V. B. Willis.'
On Saturday, May 30th, there was a triangular debate on the question "Which most deserves the esteem of mankind, the poet, the statesman, or the warrior ?" The poets were represented by S. Eichelbaum and C. H. Taylor, the statesmen by E. Armit and H. E. Evans, and the warriors by G. H. Gibb and year, and some of the speeches possessed distinct literary merit. The ladies are to be congratulated once more upon their part in the discussion, Miss Mason securing third place for her maiden speech. Unfortunately the warriors found no support beyond the mover and seconder, while the six speakers who followed the seconders were equally divided between poets and statesmen. The voting was in favour of the statesman as against the poets and warriors by 23 votes to 9 and 8 respectively. Mr. A. R. Atkinson placed the first five speakers in the following order :— E. Armit, J. Mason, Miss H. R. Mason, C. H. Taylor an J. M. Hogben.