The Press. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Thursday, August 27, 1908. THE DEBATING SOCIETY.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 301, 27 August 1908, Page 4

The Press. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Thursday, August 27, 1908. THE DEBATING SOCIETY.

Last night’s gathering at the contest debate was a pleasant one and took back the minds of many to the first visit the Kaikora Society paid to Waipukurau. The subject then was the Asiatic question, and a good debate took placed Since that occasion there have been interchanges of courtesies between the two Societies, and the members of the local Society have more than once visited Kaikora, where they have always been well leceived. The debate last night served to again demonstrate the thorough and systematic preparation the Kaikora Society have always made for contests. Ko matter what the question may be, they have always shown themselves to be thoroughly conversant with the subject. This cannot be said of the Waipukurau Society. We do not know if the members of the local Society take the debates

less seriously or have less time to devote to the preparation of speeches than those of the Kaikora Society, but they certainly do not display the same readiness as their visitors of last night. While the subject last night was one. as the judge remarked in his able summing up, that was so interwoven as to defy unravelling, its study and discussion could not but be of great intellectual advantage both to the debaters and their audience. Debating societies have frequently been the means of bringing out latent talent and proved stepping-stones to more important and influential spheres, arid we ard pleased to see that more general interest is being displayed in the local society, and we hope the townspeople will accord it an even more generous support in the future.