Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1921-02-23
0RT0NVlLLE WINS
DISCUSSION MEET
Tonnage Tax Question Viewed
Pro and Con. Redwood Falls
and Wiamar Tied

A1V S8O NOOs NSUWOVO E00S
and WiAmar Tied
The District Contest of the Mime.
sofa High School Discussion League
was held at the High School Junior
auditorium last Thursday evening
and was enjoyed by a fair sized aud
ience. Students composing the two
glee clubs of the school and other
forensic boosters comprised a good
portion of the attendance. Supt. G.
o. Brohaugh presided and announceR
the numbers Of the program. Supts.
H. F. Anderson of Kerkhoven, P NJ.
Paquette of Atwater and H. N. Peter
son of Hancock officiated as judges.
The program opened with song
by the Girls Glee Club. Eight min
utes were permitted to each speaker
in which to state his views on the is
sue and three minutes for refutation
of statements presented by the other
speakers.
Lucian Kaercher of Ortonville fav-
ored a tonnage tax for the reasons
that it was just, practical and bene-
fit to the commonwealth. He sought
to bring out the fact that present
taxes on the mining concerns were
of mild and easily borne weight and
that an additional tonnage tax would
not constitute a burden on the enter
prises involved The speaker pos
sessed forceful and emphatic man
ner of speaking which carried con-
viction. Altho his outline was not
as clear as it might have been his
points were we'll taken and given good
oratorical expression.
Donald Gerretson of Willmar was
the second speaker. He also favored
tonnage tax and gave statistics to
show why such tax should be i'm
posed. His arguments followed along
the same lines as drawn by the open
ing speaker but were more colored
with data which gave his speech
greater efficacy. Donald fell short in
his delivery. He did not appear to
have abolute surety" of his memorial
tion which caused him to mar his ex-
preston
Avis Kvello of Redwood Falls High
School, young lady with promising
speaking talents appeared to present
the negative phase of the question at
hand and did justice to her side. She
consistently and distinctly acquainted
the audience with the facts which she
| intended to prove and then proceed
ed to give them substantiation. Her
brief and construction of argument
was the clearest and most logical of
the three speakers She defined the
tonnage tax as being unfair, imprac-
tlcal and menacing to the growth of
the iron industry. Her instances to
support her statements were eviden-
ces of careful study of the question.
Being young lady she was at nat
ural disadvantage of not possessing
as strong and far-reaching voice as
her competitors but her spirit was
hrm and determined. A study of ap-
propriate gestures and greater force
OF expression would have greatly ac-
centuated her standing. Only in this
respect was she inferior to the Or
| tonville speaker and from purely a
sex standpoint it should not have
been counted
The rebuttals were given in the
| same order as the constructive
speeches. The speakers freely chal-
| lenged and sought to refute asser-
t1ons made by their opponents.
kaercher here showed his superior
ity as speaker as he possessed the
confidence and sure hitting strength
which is needed in this part of the
debating art. Gerretson and Kvello
contested for honors in rebuttals
with Miss Kvello having the shade
better of the argument.
| Following the close of the discus.
sion the judges deposited their deci.
sions with a teller. During the in.
termission between the constructive
and rebuttal speeches the Boys Glee
Club sang several songs.
While the audience awaited the
judgment Of the officials the combined
glee clubs rendered several songs
and Miss Baldwin of Redwood Falls
gave several amusing and interest
ing recitations. These were thoroly
enjoyed by the audience. .-
The following was the decision OF
the judges: Lucian Kaercher of Or
tonville first place; and Donald Ger
ettsOn and Avis Kvello tied for sec
ond honors. :s s--
4 Miss Esther Andersnn vho foach