ANTI-MILITARIST MEETING.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14621, 24 March 1913, Page 8

ANTI-MILITARIST MEETING.

UNSEEMLY STREET'SCEaSTES;J ;gj||| . In tho King's Theatre last public meeting was held to urge - repeal of the compulsory clauses of Defence Act. There was. a smaU tachrnont of Territorials present,. tho proceedings were at times noisyVrSy.'? but ■ the interruptions were; movtiyg£s made by the large number: of militarists and passive resistors sent. The speakers,included Messrs C. Webb, J. A. McCullough, R. pie, and E. J. Howard. A; motion proposed protesting against the pulsory clauses of the Act, and demahrH||f { ing their repeal and tho ' cessation the persecution of youths for plianco with the requirements of. Act. An amendment was Mr W. E. J. Maguiro to the effect that a citizens 1 protective force is preferably j|| to a standing army. The when put to the meeting was nega-. ■ tived, and the motion was agreed : ;;;^ Somo of the Territorials, result of the vote was announced, up and sang "God Save the On tho motion of Mr E. J. Howard, was resolved:-—"That this meeting > Christchurch citizens demands that.*:<§s; public enquiry should bo held,into flogging of the boys on the AmokTirav. Tho father of ono of the hoys on W*oi training Bh'p spoko briefly, and that his son had not complained «.f he had been flogged. He (the speaSefl: was leaving for Wellington in to a request from Mr Harp, was going to bco what he could do. •>;•;.- ; .f' •£; After the meeting there was monstration against' Mr Maguire, *» 0 .:-';; attempted to make a speech outside tne ; ,;, Theatre, but could not get a A crowd, largely composed of youtblfi*. number of small boys. and. a ;«?; ; > : -;| women, followed Mr Maguire Theatre along Gloucester street, "Man- £. t Chester street, and Worcester street, to Smith's garage. Mr Magu're 'went into the garage, and the crowd, had been indulging in cries of «£■•>s want Mac," kept up this demand }&■]&% a considerable period, varying it w«-j$M hoots and cheering. Now and then idea got abroad that Mr Maguire ■▼ as ; .;#is| eonrng out, and howls were set up« : ig Constables Robertson and Hart, wM.ssj accompanied Mr Maguire from Theatre, ultimately got him away in« i:j?M taxi-cab unknown to the crowd, continued for somo time afterward, their cries of "Wo want Mac.'; *° nearly an hour after the meeting the. street in the vicinity of tho was disturbed by the cries and cheers and hoots of the youths. The proceedings after the meeting wero most^un-- ; -- ; .g seemly for a Sunday' evening, was after eleven o'clock before street was'quiet. ■■I}<J'^!;o.