The Minneapolis journal., 1904-03-26
HIGH SCHOOLS
HAVE HOT DEBATE.
ST. PAUL CENTRAL HIGH CAR
RIEs OFF THE HONORs.
Spirited Contest at South High School
Last Evening Resulted in a Unani-
nous Decision for the Capital City
Boys, Who VIII Now Meet Fergus
Falls for the Finals.

The best and fastest high school
debating team heard in Minneapolis
this school year, that of the St. Paul
Central High school, defeated the
team representing the South High
school in the semifinal debate held at
the South High school hall last night.
The South High team, consisting of
Brewer Goodsell, Gerald Young and
Arthur Anderson, ,held the champion
ship of the fifth congressional district,
and the ST. Paul Central team the
championship of the first, second and
fourth districts. The st. Paul team,
consisting of Milton Firestone, Paul
Gauger and Henry Horwitz, will meet
the Fergus Falls team, which holds
the championship of the sixth, sey-
enth, eighth and ninth districts, in
Minneapolis, April Is, and the win
ners will become the champion team
Of the State High School league for
1904.
Several hundred enthusiastic sup
porters of the home and the visiting
teams thronged the South High hall
and managed to keep the applause
we'll balanced while the regular ques-
ton, Resolved, That American cities
and villages should own and operate
their public utilities" was presented,
the affirmative by the South Hi igh
| team, and the negative by the de-
| baters from st. Paul. The superiority
in individual ability and the team
training of the visiting team was evil
dent after the first ten minutes OF
debate, and the original advantage
was increased. as the evening pro-
gressed, and the decision of the judges
was unanimous.
| Overconfidence possibly contributed
to the defeat Of the home team, for
when the St. Paul team in rebutta!
followed up it's undoubted advantage
Gerald Young of the South High team
became visibly and unfortunately ex'
cited, and Brewer Goodsell to halt anc
stammer in his reply. Arthur Ander'
son pulled himself together at the
close, but it was a lost cause. The
South High team did not produce any
thing particularly new in their <argu
ment in behalf of public ownership
of public service corporations. ,-.
The three members Of the st. Pau
team, which is remarkably we'll bal
anced, had mastered the art of speak
ing rapidly, but calmly, distinctly ant
convincingly, and were ably assisted D!
an elaborate system of tables dis
played for the benefit of the judge
and the audience, and referred t.
tellingly at frequent intervals. MOS
effective stress was laid on the appar
,, ent inability of municipal corporation
successfully to manage the publ
utilities now owned by them, and tn
small mortality record Of the Mime
apolis Street Railway company wa
contrasted with the high death rat
caused by poor city drinking water
Emphasis was also laid on the ad
: vantages Of municipal control of pub
3 lie utilities thru the granting of shor
7 time franchises, appeal to the refer
/ iendum, systematic bookkeeping, an
publicity of reports and councillor con
; troll of rates. ST :. -, .-. .....-sss - p,
: The affirmative based it's argumer
! on the expense of big dividends an
e poor service, which the public had t
stand under private ownership, urge
q that public ownership would discoul
= age private enterprise in the buile
g ing of street railway. and ,'telephon
q lines, and insisted that public owner
q ship was but a manifestation of. th
y public's desire to be it's own boss. =,
The judges were DR.. Albert
: White of the state university, v
e Chase Of Anoka, and George H. Drals
" of Minneapolis. - ...-..-......- ,.