South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-03-12
JUDGES DECLARE
NOTRE DAME WIN
ON AFFIRMATIVE
Goshen College Debaters I'm
able to Stem Argument
of Local Orators.

Speaking on the affirmative,
Notre Dame university won the
judges decision over Goshen. college
in a debate held az Washington hall
Friday evening on the question
Resolved. That the Federal Gov
eminent should own and operate all
the coal mines in the United States,
all questionsf as 70 transportation
waived and censtitutionalty grant
ed"
The debate was one az twelve held
throughout the state Friday even
ing among the II schools cOmpos-
ing the Indiana intercollegiate De-
batting league. The Notre Dame
negative team debated at Valpa-
raiso and the Valparaiso negative
appeared at Goshen. other schools
of the league were divided into
similar triangies.
In accordance with the rules Of
the league which provide that
judges represent a neutral school,
the following members of the Val
paraiso faculty officiated at Notre
AfcLLAAb A1AeaA evening LIZ IL ~ W aAA
Jams. Dean II. c. MuldOon. Prof. z.
Rosenberg, and Professor Schicks.
Judge T. A. GMmer Of South Bend,
a graduate of Valparaiso, served az
the fifth judge in the absence of
Dean r. a. Tallcott. The decision
ignored the merits of the question
entirely and was based on the de-
livery and thought Of the contest
ants
Both Teams Good.
While both sides presented a mass
OF statistics which conflicted at
times, claimed conclusive proofs
which were not so conclusive. and
INDUCED in fiery pyrotechnics Of
oratory on occasions. the subject
was very well handled and both
teams reflected the result Of months
of work and intimate knowledge Of
the situation The Notre Dame trio
Of Vincent Engels, Raymond Gala
CHER, and Worth Clark was by far
the smoother working and graceful
and piled up points in delivery and
rebuttal so rapidly that the result
was forecasted by the large crowd
which attended the affair. Goshen
presented a very good man in W. L.
Oswalt.
The affirmative based its claim
for government ownership and OPP
Grafton on the basis of public well
fare being more important than the
question Of profit and compared the
situation TO that of the postoffice.
In answering this contention, Gosh
en- made the big error of the even
ing by practically admitting the con-
tention or the affirmative while fail
ing TO prove that the postal service
was more important to public well
fare than the coal industry. After
claiming that the public was entitled
TO consideration above all other
points the affirmative attempted TO
make the points that the coal oper-
ators had neglected TO utilize the
by-products of the mines; has toler-
ated a frightful waste by neglecting
cheaper grades Of coal in pursuit of
the dearer; had profiteered to the
extent Of 1000 per cent in some
cases and accordingly caused high
prices; that coal shortages were due
to the neglect of operators TO store
coal in the slack seasons of the year
In order to charge high prices in
the crisis: and that the general
treatment of miners by private own
ers kept the industry at the rear
door Of Bolshevism and social un-
rest. The root of the evil the af-
firmative claimed to be the motive
of private gain; and demanded gov
eminent ownership as the remedy.
Score in Rcbuttal.
The negative answered that the
evils of high prices, instability Of
operation and waste urged by, the
affirmative were not inherent in tho
system Of private ownership and
that private ownership was already
solving these evils. They main
tanned by statistics the failure or
government ownership in many Eu-
ropean countries and quoted many
American opponents 10 the plan;
and finally declared that public
ownership would make the mines a
football Of politics, create thousands
of political jobsc and result in in
efficiency; and stated their opinion
that the public was hostile TO gov
eminent ownership which was I'M
.necessary and impractical.
In rebuttal the Notre Dame team
scored heavily by the statement that
the policy Of government ownership
despite the claims Of it's inefficien-
cv. had spread gradually throughout
the world. They produced statistics
which questioned those Of their OPP
.ponents and denied that the operat-
ors could ever give TO humanity the
full benefit Of a public industry
while actuated by the motive OF
private gain.