PASSIVE RESISTERS AT

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14523, 27 November 1912, Page 10

PASSIVE RESISTERS AT

LYTTELTON. .-—. ♦ — .- REFUSED A HEARING. Tho announcement that two speakerrepresenting the Passive Resistors' Union would address a meeting at Lyttelton last night, caused a large crowd to gather nt the corner of Norwich Quay and Oxford street about 8 p.m. It was evident from the start that tho speakers had not got tho sympathy of tho crowd. "There were, amongst tho crowd of two or threo hundred, a few who vainly appealed for a hearing for the speakers, but their voices wero drowned in tho general uproar. The first speaker started his address, which was on the usual lines, but in the din of cheers, groans, and yells, very few of his remarks wero audible. Two bandsmen among the crowd played snatches of patriotic airs, and tho choruses wero taken up with considerable heartiness, with frequent bursts of cheering. The first speaker had not got far with his address before ho was being badly jostled by the crowd, and was upset several times from the little form on which he stood. His companion then essayed tho task of haranguing tho crowd, but he fared no better. Ho was unable to get out more than a few words at a time, and was subjected to a continuous heavy firo of interruptions from the crowd, varied by tho musical efforts of tho bandsmen, and loud bursts of singing and cheering. Finally, he, too, was jostled and pushed from his stand by tho crowd, which took strong exception to somo of his remarks, which were of a personal nature. For a time it looked as if the two young men wore in for serious trouble, as the crowd closed in upon i them. Tho police surrounded them ' and kept tho crowd back/and finally, ! at 8.45 p.m., tho two would-,_ i speakers decided "to close the meet-S ing." Then tho crowd"'rushed thorn, I and it would have gone very badly j with them, in spite of tho police, hail they not skilfully dodged away in tho thick of tho crowd. Away from tho ' light of the street lamns thoy could j not be found, and after waiting awhile in the vain expectation of finding them, tho crowd melted away.