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The Spike: or, Victoria College Review, June 1904

The Debating Contest

The Debating Contest.

" I will fight with him upon this theme
Until my eyelids will no longer way"

—Hamlet.

Judges, The Very Rev. Dean Fitchett, A. Wilson, Esq, M. A. and D. M. Findlay, Esq.

No one envied the Judges their task as they left the platform of knox Hall and retired to decide which college had page 16 best discussed the proposition "That the Referendum with the Initiative be introduced into New Zealand." There was no question that the judges were right in disqualifying Otago for W. L. Burnard, owing to the sudden illness of his colleague, had to bear the whole brunt. His speech, however, was worthy of the occasion, and not so overpowering " swated " as some of the others. A. B. Chapple gave probably the best debating speech of the evening, and to his skill, Canterbury College must owe the verdict. The Auckland men spoke with great point, but their style was weak. The Judges in giving their verdict, said that one College and made the mistake of applying the more florid and poetic method of oratory to an essentially prosaic subject. Some think they referred to Victoria College. However that be we think that Victoria College ran up pretty close in the Debate and had no need to be ashamed of Quartley and Toogood. As ofr the subject under discussion we leave it to fate and the " unborn millions."