MR MASSEY'S MEETING.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14980, 9 June 1914, Page 2

MR MASSEY'S MEETING.

TO THE EDITOB OF "THE PBUESB."

Sir, —Would,you kmdiy publish in your next issue of "The Press" tho views of some of the labouring men on the blackguardly disturDance at the Prime Minister's meeting on Friday night iii Victoria equarer , I attended the meeting with my wife, daughter, and a good many workers of the Woolston district. All of us were anxious to hear the Minister's views on the affairs of ti>.o country, and at the same time anxious that he should have fair play to express his sentiments, and after he had finished his speech, to put a few questions to him, but we were prevented by the dastardly, nonsensical, and cowardly conduct of the Red Feds., and, I am sorry to say, a good many of tho Labour Party. The conduct of some of the crowd is do : ng our causo incalculable harm, *nd I regret they are co ignorant they cannot see it. The Government supporters gave Sir J. G. Ward a fair hearing, and heard what he said without any disturbance, and why did they not play the game and give the Prime Minister a chance of a hearing? I was afraid there was to be a little row, but 1 never reckoned the Opposition Party were going to such a length of blackguardly tactics. My sons a few days before the meeting were asked to support a certain number to give Mr Maesey a hot time of it, and they refused, and I regret to say by men, who I had a higher opinion of, and one especially, who holds a high position. It is absurd for Mr Sullivan to say that he did not recognise among the r crowd a single individual connected with the Labour movement. From my own district and Linwood there wore a good masy, and he must have beforehand, there was going to be a row, and it is a pity he did not try at the meeting and before hand to use his influence (if ho has any) to stop it. I can say truly, if these tactics are carried on much further, and if the supporters of the Opposition are the men who created the disturbance on Friday night last, the tight-thJnsing working man will support only those at the next election who are on the Government side. 1 hara had a talk with a good many since the meeting, and I can say the Opposition have lost a good many followers, caused by the disturbance in Victoria square. There are a good many of us who are not well educated which is not our fault. But wo can think and judge the character of men and believe thoroughly in British fair play.—Yours, etc., _ V WOOLSTOX LABOURER. Woolstou, June 7th. \ TO THE EDITOR OT "THE FBISS. ,, ™ Si f*r~£ cer iy\ portion of those who went.to hear Mr Massey the other mVht ; are to be excused, because for years we [hare had such a lot of humbugs, dod--1 gers, etc., to listen to f that some people have got to look upon members of Parliament as being like peas in a pod But when Mr Massey has had time to reconstruct (which he will do), those few who are against him now will understand the rough storm he has had to pull through to land them on their feet once more. The very fact of Mr Massey doing his utmost for the "workers and giving the prize to the man who wins it. should be enough. Mr Massey will exterminate unfairness in* New Zealand almost equal to the manner in which St..Patrick drove out of Ireland. —Yours, etc.. PICK AND .SHOVEL.