Debating and Oratory.

After last year's Bledisloe Medal Contest the A.U.C. delegates recommended that the choice of subjects be limited so as not to permit the orator selecting subjects dealing with anything that has occurred in the ten-year period immediately preceding the date of the contest. The reason for this recommendation was that last year a speaker took as his subject "the advent of the Labour Government in New Zealand." and during the course of his oration was cut off the radio. The recommendation was unanimously retooled, and some very strong opinions were expressed on the question of the right of freedom of speech.

Considerable difficulty is being experienced in obtaining suitable subjects for radio debates. This has arisen through the rather iniquitous, censorial control exercised over broadcasting. Truly the much-lauded democratic "freedom of the press" is not that of the air!