Depression

The society entered the years of the great depression as an extremely strong club, and emerged from them even stronger. The early 1930s saw record attendances and record numbers of speakers.

They debated Christian Missions, the Arbitration Court, the 10 per cent wage cut, Russia; they deplored American influence in this country. There was a lively debate on trial marriage, but after the noise of the debate had subsided, when the motion was put, it was discovered that a system of trial marriage had only two supporters. And as these were of the same sex, another great reform was nipped in the bud!

These were the years, too, of the riots, of section 59 of the Finance Act (forbidding criticism of the Government) and of the suppression of Spike. Some of this of course flowed over into the meetings of the society and the record of the year's activities reported improper disturbances at meetings caused by the feeling which had arisen in the College between the Loyalists and their troublesome opponents. "We must observe," writes the secretary, "that the attitude adopted by these opponents has ever been decorous and in accordance with the rules governing debates and defining the functions of the chair. The actions of the Loyalists, we regret, have not invariably been distinguished by the same characteristics.