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SMAD. An Organ of Student Opinion. 1937. Volume 8. Number 14.

Subject for Debate — "Has the Debating Society Lost Its Grip?"

Subject for Debate

"Has the Debating Society Lost Its Grip?"

At last Friday night's meeting of the Debating Society, the attendance was atrocious. The subject was dull and the debating itself lacked sparkle and punch, In view of the small audience, Mr. Myers's interjections, though as frequent and as pointless as usual, fell completely flat. Mr. H. A. Heron, the judge, said that the subject was uninspiring and provoked little humour.

In "Smad's" opinion there have been too many dull debates this year, and this cannot solely be attributed to inclement weather. It seems that the Debating Society will have to revive interest in its activities by choosing more controversial subjects. These remarks may seem pointless in view of the fact that V.U.C. has won this year's Joynt Scroll contest, but one or two good speakers can't be shouldered with a whole debate, nor can they bring life to a lifeless subject.

The subject was "That the advent of commercial advertising in New Zealand is to be deplored." Mr. D. M. Hatherly, opening the side for the affirmative, suggested that the ZB stations were created solely to distribute political patronage to "Uncle Scrim"; furthermore, the commercial stations duplicated an advertising service already provided in a much less obtrusive manner by the Press.

For the negative. Miss McLaren adduced a number of theoretical arguments on advertising to be found in any textbook on economics; and contended that competition among individual firms ha I a healthy effect on programmes.

Seconding Mr. Hatherley, Mr. Tread well was, as the judge said, too political. He emphasised the point that the National Broadcasting Service laid itself open to political jobbery, and he considered advertising and culture could not co-exist. Mr. McGlynn, supporting the negative, proceeded to "knock to bits" the arguments of his opponents, suggesting that commercial broadcasting would lead people by easy stages to higher artistic tastes.

From the floor, Mr. S. G. Andrews for the affirmative, said that inquiries he had made from children showed that ZB programmes appealed mainly by their sensationalism, and so were a stultifying and anti-social influence. Mr. A. R. Perry supported the affirmative by saying that the present Government, of socialistic tendencies, had betrayed its principles by sponsoring a system which was one of the worst features of capitalism.

The speakers were placed by Mr. Heron as follows: Messrs. Andrews, Tread well, McGlynn, Miss McLaren, Mr. Perry.