ORATORICAL CONTEST.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9609, 1 October 1909, Page 5

ORATORICAL CONTEST.

i, Five contestants took part in the oratorical contest, held .at the Y.M.C.A. Rooms, on Wednesday jJaight for a gold medal presented to . Society. Mr 0. N. 0 Pragnell ( 'occupied the chair, and announced . tuac each contestant was allowed 17 minutes to give an oration on the life of some great man cnosen by him. Mr J. T. M. Hornsby acted in the capacity of judge, and at the conclusion of the oration made the following awards:-—lst, D. .Hebenton (the life of R. J. Seddon); 2nd, G. )R. Sykes (the life of Abraham Lincoln) ; 3rd, D. B. Thomson (the life of W. E. Gladstone*; 4th, E. Planni- . the life of Pitt, Earl of ChatHhanrt; stb, J. ,R. Cole (the life of •Oliver Goldsmith). \ Mr Hornsby criticised the differ- - ' ent orations in turn, and also stated thathe was highly pleased at the ■jjtaindard of oratory. Many of our famous orators. he Said made far worse attempts than the contestants had. He also stated that the life of , .Abraham Lincoln-as sketched by Mr , Sylies was a complete "multum in parvo" of that great man's work, -and ahowed considerable talent. The » life of Seddon given by Mr HebenAtton was, the judge stated, the most " telling speech oil that statesman s life he had either read in print, heard delivered in the House of (Or out of it. The iMther lives, too, as given were well Miandled "by the contestants, who showed considerable merit, and Mr Hornsby stated,y should encourage them to take part in future con-

tests. 1 'v , A hearty vote of tbanks was moved i to the judge for his kindness in comup to Mastert9n to judge the r.on- ' , and also for ths advice he had given, which was very much appreci- : ated by the contestants. f> A vote of thanks to the chairman brought a very educative evening a close. w; . -