The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-02-21
DISCUSS NATIONS RAIL WAYS
High School Orators Ably Discuss Cues
ton of Government Ownership of
Railroads - Beloit Wins Unani-
mously from Racine-Tie Debate.

The Kenosha High school debate
teams broke even in the triangular
debate held Saturday evening with the
Racine and Beloit high schools, for
while the Kenosha affirmative team won
from Beloit at the assembly room of
the Central High school building, the
Kenosha negative team lost to the Ra-
cine affirmative team at the Racine
High school assembly room. Beloit
took a little the edge on the other two
schools by winning unanimously at
their home debate over the Racine ora
tors. The question for debate was,
I" Resolved, That the Federal Govern
ment Should Own and Operate the
Railways In each contest the affir-
native team was victorious.
Both contests in which the Kenosha
orators participated resulted in very
close decisions. At Kenosha while the
local team won two decisions out of
three, by resorting to percentages, the
Beloit team was three points ahead by
the score of 266 to 269 At Racine,
where only one judge oficiated, the
percentage in favor Of Racine was 80
to SO. There was some question at
Kenosha as to which side had won the
debate, but it is believed that the rul-
ing of the league, under whose aus
pieces the debate was held, is that the
percentage should not be resorted to
except in determining the standing
of the teams in the event of tie in
the decisions of the judges.
The debate at Kenosha was attended
by more than two hundred people and
was presided over by Mrs. Mary D.
Bradford, superintendent Of the public
schools. The judges were W. G. ALE of
Lake Forest College; H. B. Kingsbury
of the West Division High school, and
Fred w. Helm of South Milwaukee.
In opening the debate for the affr-
native James Turney, with clearness
and convincing statistics, explained the
argument which would be pursued by
him and his colleagues, paying especial
attention to the political side of the
question. The second speaker for the
affirmative, Yvette Goldberg, explained
in a pleasing and convincing way that
the government ownership would re-
duce operating expenses and would re
suit in the saving of lives from acct
dent and would bring cooperation in
stead of competition. The third
speaker, William Runge, emphasized
the fact that government ownership
would clear up the question of labor
and capital by eliminating all strikes
as it had done in France.
The main stumbling block placed by
the negative in the way of government
ownership was the plan presented by
their third speakr, James Parker, of
a federal control board. He was ably
preceded by Forest Crowped, who dis
cussed the political side of the ques-
tion with forceful logic and by Louis
Kapitanoff, who proved that govern
ment management had failed in Cana
da and branded the scheme as Utopian
The Beloit speakers were excep-
tionally good on the rebuttal, easily
defeating Kenosha in this part of
the contest.
At Racine, Sydney Bisno, Lillian
Wolfe and Edmund Pennefeather de-
Tended the Kenosha side of the argu-
ment against Nathaniel Schwartz
Kenford Nelson and Anthony Norad Of
the Racine High school. Reports from
the contest agree in saying that from
the standpoint of oratory, the debate
was easily in Racine IS favor, but in
logic and rebuttqal the Kenosha repre-
sentatives were a match for their op-
ponents. In this debate Miss Wolfe of
Kenosha is accredited with having
the strongest argument of the even
ing as she discussed the economic phase
of the question.
Considerable interest was shown in
the contest by the students cf the local
high school and it is possible that a
debating society will be formed in the
near future to help in the preparation
for other contests. The absolute re.
suit of the triangular debate will be
announced as soon as reports from the
three contests can give percentages
upon which to choose the winner.
It is believed now that such a com
parison will place Beloit first and
Kenosha second with Racine IN last
place, although each has won the
contest at home.