Australian Varsity Debaters Win Contest

Chronicle (Levin), 13 June 1949, Page 2

Australian Varsity Debaters Win Contest

WELLINGTON, June 12. A debate between teams representing tlie combined Universities of Austraiia and the Uni-versity of New Zealand, was won by Austraiia. The motion was "That the Communist parties in the Western demoeracies should be abolished." The Australians took the affirmative. Professor R. B. Parker said he and the other judges, Mr. J. R. Marshail, M.P., and Mr. John Hogan, had had a niost diffieult decision to inalte but they were uuauimous that the debate had been of high quality on both sides. The opening Australian speakers piaced | their teaiu ahead of the New Zealanders but as the . debate progressed the teams beeame more and more even. An essential point of the debate became the feasibility of abolishing Communist' parties and not whether Conimunist' parties should be abolished, which might have beeome tlie point of dispute. The debate having talcen that course, theAustralians were slightly handieapped, but tliey had set about overcoining their handieap with wit and skill so that they were ahead at the iinisli. The Australian. team, in order oi' speaking, was: A. iioden (Sydney), C. li. lleriues (Adelaide) and JD. W. K. Webster (yyduuy). The New Zealaiui teaiu was, in order of speaking: iv. J. O 'Sulli van (Auckland), 13. M. O 'Uonnor (Victoria) and-.-K. 13. O'Brien (\'ictoria). The chainnan, Mr. D. Miller,' said it was the first tiine university debating teams fully representative oi Austialia and New Zealand, had met. iie unnounced that the pubiic would be admitted to the debate between the twtr teams which would ue recorded at the studios oi' 2YA at 1.30 p.m. today (Mou4ay).