Literary Society

In this, the second year of our active existence, we have been a little overshadowed by the lusty Free Discussions Club, for we have not been suppressed, have met with no opposition from the Students' Association or Professorial Board, and have produced no periodical to place besides the Phoenix or Oriflamme.

But we have not been asleep. We have, indeed, been more active, held more meetings and touched more varying aspects than ever before. We have heard Dr. Beaglehole's earnest and scholarly, but enthusiastic and emotional appeal for the better understanding of history. We have visited the Turnbull Library and listened to Mr. Johannes Anderson on first editions; we have held a "Hate Party" when members had an opportunity to vent their spleen against literary idols, led by Mr. Dunningham, who most comprehensively hated all sociologically-minded writers; and we have, with Miss Macdonald, discussed recent literary trends of taste, which were, she contended, in the direction of sentiment-alisation of life.

While the Free Discussions Club was in abeyance we held two very successful meetings of a more general character. At the first Miss Lucy Puckridge read a paper on the Social Philosophy of Bernard Shaw, and evoked discussion of a political nature; at the second— a very popular meeting this—Professor von Zedlitz spoke about Universities—an institution apparently non-existent in New Zealand—and shewed the absolute necessity for freedom of speech. At the last meeting of the term we again broke new ground when Mr. Norman Byrne delighted us with his sketch of the tendencies of drama in the present century.

It will be seen that the year has not been idle and that the Society has covered much ground. If our meetings have always been small, they have, for that reason, been more intimate and the discussion more animated, but we do realise that in confining ourselves to criticism and appreciation we have neglected the first function of a Literary Society and cannot take our place beside the literary clubs of our sister Colleges. Accordingly we have decided to offer two prizes, of a pound and ten shillings, for the best original work in either prose or verse received by the Secretary by the end of the third term.