ORATORY CONTEST

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 91, 14 October 1932, Page 7

ORATORY CONTEST

THE BLEDISLOE MEDAL

NEW ZEALAND SUBJECTS

AUCKLAND STUDENT WINS

*-*■'. Eight speakers, two from each of the fonr centres, took, part last evening in the Town Hall in the first three-yearly inter : university oratory contest for the handsome gold medal presented by His Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Bledisloe, for the best oration on a New Zealand subject by a university student. The winner of the medal was Mr. K. H. Melvin, Auckland University .College. Mr. M. G. Sullivan, also of 'Auckland University College, was second, and Mr. B. J. Eeardoh, Victoria University College, was third. The contest, which was organised by the Standing Committee on Debating of. the New Zealand National Union of Students,. attracted a good attendance and was- held in the presence of His Excellency Lord Bledisloe and Lady Bledisloe. Mr. H. Atmore, M.P., was the chairxnan, and the judges were Mr. Justice MacGregor, Mr. H. D. Bennett, and Mr. H. H. Oram. , . • The eight competitors in the order in Which they spoke, and their subjects, were as follows:—Mr. E. S. Tuckwell (Otago),."Samuel Marsden"; Mr. M. 6. Sullivan (Auckland), "Bishop- Selwyn"; Mr. E. K. Cook (Canterbury), "Sir George Grey"; Mr. E. J. Beardon (Victoria University College), "Mother Mary Aubert"- Miss C. S. Forde (Victoria. University College), "Tamati Waaka Nene"; Mr. J. C. • Mowat (Otago), "The Annexation of New Zealand"; Mr. K. H. Melvin (Auckland), "James Busby"; and Miss D. Maginness (Canterbury), "E. J. Seddon." ; A DERIDED CHARACTER. Mr. 'Melvin chose a difficult subject, but handled it in masterly fashion. Ho displayed an easy though forceful . stylo which appealed to and held the interest of the audience. It was not possible, he said, to approach an oration on James Busby by the usual paths of eulogy. He was conspicuous only by his failure, and yet without him New Zealand would not have been possessed of, the Treaty of "Waitangi. Busby had .been ■• condemned as the supremo^ example of ineffectiveness in New Zealand's early history. In Busby's case there was much that had been said" to be undone. Too long he had been denied that charity of which people who had failed through no fai^lt of their own were deserving. About Busby no book or story ever Had been written. His offence, was failure to do the impossible—to maintain law and order in a lawless country without constitutional, power or authority. Mr. Eeardon ■ struck a • responsive ichord in the audience with his speech on Mother Mary Aubert, whom he described as a benefactress of New 'Zealand, a''veritable queen of mercy, a,pioneer in our land, and a builder of our people. Air the 'speakers showed diligent preparation of their- material, and each received an attentive and encouraging tearing from'the audience. The decision of the judges was well received, and was referred to by Lord Bledisloe as one which the old Greek philosopher Aristotle would have thoroughly .approved. Before announcing the verdict of the judges, Mr. Justice MacGregor said that he had consulted his dictionary, for the definition.of the , word "oration," which was given as follows: "An oration is an elaborate .or formal public speech, treating some .important - subject in- a dignified style and manner and according to the rules of oratory." That definition the judges had tried to apply in coming to their: decision.: His Honour then' announced the placings. In conclusion he said. that the judges would have liked to have awarded a special medal to Miss Maginness for her delightful flashes of humour. ARISTOTLE'S CANONS. His Excellency presented the medal to Mr. Melvin on the stage amidst applause. 'His Excellency referred to the occasion as epoch-making. When Mr. Justice'MacGregor explained that he had ■ sought from the pages of his dictionary a proper definition of "oration '' he was wondering whether the dictionary harked back to those canons of the rhetorical laid down,many centuries ago by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Being a profonnd admirer of :■ Aristotle, one. of the few Greek writers he ever pretended to understand or< entirely admire, he had always thought the old canons of oratory laid down by him were peculiarly • convince ing. The first was an effective appeal to ; the "■ human ■ understanding. The second'.was'an. effective appeal to the human reason; the third was style, "and the fourth was delivery, and-he could not 5 help thinking that judged by all four canons the decision of the. judges was one' that -Aristotle wouldl have thoroughly approved. (Applause.); PRAISE FOR MR. MELVIN. ■When; ;he-saw', the name of.Jam.es Busby among the subjects ■, that had been ; cjiosen, .continued His Excellency, he wondered greatly how Mr. Melvin was; going to discharge. his ; difficult task with conviction;-but he had done it, and; had-, done it most effectively. (Applause.) .. "Speaking for myself," said His Excellency, "I think that Mr. Melvin's description of that rather remarkable man, who played a not insignificant part in, the signing of that historic document which made this country part of the British Empire, was a masterpiece of well-chosen language and of extraordinary discretion in presenting a character that has hitherto been hidden in the more shadowy parts of New Zealand history. I think you will all-agree, with me when I suggest that it is' no disgrace to any competitor of Mr., "Melvin ; here this evening that Others have not received this medal, for I am bound to say that I, for my part, have never listened to a competition of this ; character where so many really effective orations have been delivered, showing- great knowledge of their subject and in excellently chosen English." (Applause.) LADY BLEDISLOE'S OFFER. . His Excellency, said that Lady Bledisloe informed him that she would be delighte.d to present a second medal or other award for future contests if the Debating Committee, thought it desirable. In conclusion His Excellency congratulated all the competitors on what he said had been in each case' a most meritorious achievement. A vote of thanks to Their Excellencies was carried for their generosity and interest in the welfare of the people of New Zealand. Cheers were given for the place-winners and for the losers."While the judges were conferring several concert items were presented. Three pupils of Miss Kathleen O'Brien ■ —Misses Joan Baine, Dorothy Daniells, and Thelma Bartholomew—provided attractive Spanish dances and thoroughly deserved the applauseswith which they were received.- Two songs were sung by' Mr. J. N. Goodson, the first with violin pbbligato by Mr. G. Josephs; two violin solos were given by Mr. James McDonald; and a musical monologue was given by Mr. "W. J. Mountjoy, junr. • The accompanist was Miss Eileen