UNRULY STUDENTS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 162, 5 April 1920, Page 4

UNRULY STUDENTS

DEBATING CONTEST INTERRUPTED

AUCKLAND TEAM WINS

The University debating contest, held in the Concert Chamber on Saturday night,. was marred by the rowdy behaviour of a section of Hie students. The subject of debate was, "That the Dominions should not have separate votes on the deliberations of the League of Nations, but that the views of the Empire as a. whole should be expressed by the views of the representatives appointed by an Empire Parliament or in, some other' way 'by the Empire us V whole." Wellington and Auckland look the affirmative and Canterbury and Otago the negative. • Rich college was represented by two speakers, and each speaker had a t'tuc limit of fifteen minutes. The judges were the Rev. S. Robertson Orr, Mr. J. P. Firth, and Mr. M. Myers. Profcsor T. A. Hunter was in the chair. •

The speakers were frequently interrupted and were kept under a fire of interjections. The Victoria College representatives spoke at the beginning of the debate, and then the inlerjectors, who seldom managed/to say anything apt or amusing, proceeded to hamper the visiting sneakers-. The chairman appealed , for oijler without success. When the first Auckland man was speaking, the judges protested that they lould not hear owing to the uproar.- The noise continued, and presently the judges left the hall. The chairman announced that owing to the misconduct of a section of the audience the contest was at an end.

Some of the students then rsked Mr. T. Forsyth to'take the chair. Mr. Forsyth undertook to interview the judges on their bclnlf, and N he was able to announce a . rev minutes inter,' after some of the audience had gone, that the cha : rman and judges were willing to return if the students promised to behave in a reasonable manner, ''.he contest was then resumed. The iromise was not fully kept, the chairman having again to ask for order, but the Speakers » -,, re> able to complete the debate.

The judges winced the teams ;ig follow.—Auckland (A. '3. Davis and C. J". Garland), 177 points. 1: Canterbury ■'K. G. Archer and J. C. Dickinson), 151 point?, 2; Wellington (P. Martin-Smith aid J.. A. Ross), 137 points, 3: Otago (Miss. M. A. Taylor and Wi Moriell), 130 points, 4. ■ Mr. Firth, in announcing the decision, said that the judges had been greatly pleased with the high' general level of the speeches, and wished to compliment the Auckland representatives, iiarticularly Mr. Garland, on 'heir very fir? effort. . The winning team took the view that the demand for the direct represeutaf'on of the Dominions in the League of Nations was net sou;ully % based, since the Dominions were not fnllv autonomous in international affairs. They could not negotiate.treaties with foreign States, and they could not make war or peace.' The power to do these tilings for the Empire was held bv the Dr'tish Parliament, and Dominion representatives necessarily could occupy a subordinate position'in the councils of the Leagnei The logical course would lie to.<rente an Empire Parliament, representing all the States of the Empire, and capable: of speaking for the Empire as a whole.