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Debating Society.

Since last report the progress of the Debating Society has been somewhat uneven and it must be regretfully admitted that the high hopes raised by the success of the early part of the season have fallen sadly short of realization. There is no reason for dissatisfaction with the reception given to the Presidential address or the Short Vacation Readings, although these meetings could have been better attended, but out of five debates dating from June 17th only two can be said to have received a reasonable amount of support. What is the reason for this apathy? Is it because the time is not proper to the discussion of problems unconnected in some immediate way with the present world-convulsion, or is it because in view of the suddenly great importance which has attached to physical force, polemic force is to be considered of very small account? The times are out of joint, undoubtedly, but the Debating Society is of an importance second only to the scholastic function of the College and should not be neglected by men (especially) who desire to obtain the greatest practical benefit (as well as enjoyment) from their all-too-fleeting hours spent at Salamanca.

A lessened interest showed first in the meeting of 17th June when Mr. Archer, seconded by Mir. Grieve, moved "That the present expenditure of the New Zealand Government upon free education is justified by its results" and Mr. Casey, seconded by Mr. Saker, opposed. Perhaps the postponement of this meeting from the pre-ceding Saturday caused the fall in the attendance or it may be that very few people were interested either in education or the New Zealand Government. The debate, page 78 however, was good, and the standard of speaking high. The decision of the Judge (Mr. T. Neave) was: Casey, Saker, Cooper, Archer and Ross (equal), and Wilson.

On 24th June, a week later and only one day after the end of the capping orgies, a minimum attendance debated (so to speak) the question "That moving picture entertainments exercise a greater influence upon human thought than literature does," which was moved by Mr. Rogers, seconded by Mr. Cooper, and opposed by Miss Neumann, seconded by Miss Norman. The principals and one or two others spoke well, but as the total male audience was eight and each one had to be compulsorily induced to ascend the platform, it is to be readily understood (and perhaps forgiven) that the standard of the average meeting was not maintained. When the murmur had subsided, the Judge (Mr. C. E. Stathain, M.P.) made the following award: Mr. Evans, Miss Neumann, Miss Norman, Mr. Rogers and Mr. Wilson; and his comments and suggestions were perhaps the best the society has had the fortune to listen to this season.

During the Short Vacation the Reading Circle held two meetings, which were fully successful. The plays read were " Mrs. Dot," on Friday 30th June, and "The Amazons" on Friday 7th July. It is proposed to continue these readings through the Long Vacation and all interedted should keep an eye on the notice board.

On 22nd July (Second Term), Miss Daniell, seconded by Mr. Broad, moved "That the activities of women resulting from the present war conditions will beneficially affect the human race," and Miss J. Park, seconded by Mr. Watson, opposed. There was a really satisfactory attendance at this debate and the question was well threshed out. Eight other speakers took part and the gymnasium clock, which had been recently "repaired," joined in and struck 598 times (apply to chairman for verification), before it was finally carried out. The five speakers placed by the Judge (Mr. J. W. Black) were Mr. Hoard, Mr. Jenkins, Miss Park and Mr. Watson (equal), Miss Daniell and Mr. Archer.

The meeting on 5th August was almost equally satisfactory. On this occasion the question "That post-bellum restrictions on German trade would be against the best interests of the British Empire" was moved by Mr. Jenk page 79 ins, seconded by Mr. Ross, and opposed by Mr. Watson, seconded by Mr. Cocker. Six others took part and the motion was lost. The Judge (Mr. H. F. von Haast) placed the following speakers: Watson, Archer, Jenkins, Cooper and Cocker. In the course of his remarks Mr. von Haast suggested an uncomfortable and unpatriotic sobriquet as deducible from the initials of a certain prominent member of the Society.

On Friday August 19th, in Classroom VIII. of the College building, Professor D. M. Y. Sommerville gave his Presidential address before a fairly good attendance of members and others. The subject of the address was "Spiritualism and the Fourth Dimension" and the Professor developed his subject with a simplicity of explanation, a profusion of diagram and a dry humour that we could heartily wish to encounter again. In order to gain an idea of life on a higher dimension, said the Professor, we must first get an idea of life on a lower dimension. A worm closely confined in a tube had one degree of freedom; a flatfish on the surface of the water had two directions in which it could move; if to a two dimensional inhabitant of Dr. Abbott's Flatland (which is a place where a sort of tiddleywink lives) the freedom of movement possessed by a three-dimensional human being would appear miraculous, why could there not be possible a dimension additional to our north and south, east and west and up and down—a sort of "throughth," along which beings could progress with a freedom impossible to us? Some people had thought so and one astute individual—a spiritualist—had gone so far as to discover and control beings belonging to a fourth dimension; and the inevitable German professor had written a laborious work describing the feats and experiments of this ultra-clever conjurer. The existence of the fourth dimension had been a theme of violent controversy some 30 years ago and its literature was enormous; but very few people believed in it to-day."When Cheshire Cats ' quoted the Professor in conclusion "were an every-day occurrence, then we would be able to believe in a space of four dimensions." In moving a hearty vote of thanks, the Chairman threw out the sordid suggestion (quite unnecessary from a member of the legal profession) that a select class be formed for the study of fourth-dimensional page 80 methods of extracting coins from safes, etc. It is saddening to observe the decline which has occurred in the ideals of University students within the last few thousand years.

The last meeting up to time of writing was held on September 2nd, when Mr. Jackson, seconded by Mr. Evans, moved "That the interests of citizens would be best served by municipal control of the distribution of food supplies" and was opposed by Mr. Kay, seconded by Mr. Schmidt. Five other members took part. The attendance was very poor and the quality of the frequent interruptions was poorer. But boys will be boys and really, intense study does exhaust the mind! The Judge (Mr. F. V. Waters) commented very closely on the diction and pronunciation of the speakers and placed the least offending as follows: Archer, Gardiner, Evans, Kay and Jackson.