GERALDINE LITERARY AND DEBATING SOCIETY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2069, 8 July 1890, Page 3

GERALDINE LITERARY AND DEBATING SOCIETY.

The usual fortnightly meeting of this society was held in th.e Jihrary of the Mechanics' Institute, Qeraldine, on Wednesday evening last. There was a good attendance, I'h.e programme for tfce evening was the reading of papers by Messrs J, McGibbin and R. Y. Eergussoo, The former wrote on " The Benefits of Newspaper Reading," while the latter chose for his subject " Th.e Proper Aims to Life worth Living." Mr MpGibbon commenced his paper by referring to the great variety of information on almost every conceivable subject under the sun to be found in the first-class newspapers of the present day. Eyery branch of industry and was dealt with in the modern newspaper. The politics of the day occupied one of the most prominent places in the daily paper. This was a subject which the writer thought should be studied more by young people than it was. Every young man and woman should have a fairly comprehensive grasp of the politics of the country to which they belonged. This they could easily command by taking a little of the time now spent in leading trashy novels, and devoting it to reading the parliamentary News. He condemned the too prevalent habit of people reading the lighter and more useless 1 portions of the newspapers, and urged upon young people the advantage of reading the more useful articles. It the latter were more frequently and i carefully studied it would tend to i raise the moral character and to give

more elevating subjects of conversation than the insipid small talk which too often formed the staple topics of conversation. He pointed out that the editor of the paper was not altogether to blame for useless gossip and trashy novels appearing in his paper, as he had to provide for the tastes of his subscribers. Seme people contented themselves with looking over the price of shares and consul, others with the reports of sales or the Bankruptcy Gazette, but the writer considered that any business man, let him be ever so busy, could, if he chose, | devote a short portion of his time daily to studying the useful portion of the daily or weekly paper, He also urged that children should be encouraged to read the newspapers, and read them aloud where practicable. The parents after reading it should hand it over to the children, and should see that they read the political news it contained. It would be a good lesson in history for them to read of the doings of the most prominent men of their day and would be of far more advantage to them than reading of men who lived hundreds of years before they were born. Mr McGibbin concluded his paper by quoting the opinion of Professor Workman, instructor in literature, rhetoric, and composition in the Ohio Normal University on s, The Newspaper as a Teacher." Mr McGibbon's paper was an able and well written one, and deserved the applause which he was accorded at its conclusion.