UNSEEMLY INCIDENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1125, 12 May 1911, Page 6

UNSEEMLY INCIDENT.

A CHRISTCmiRCH CORONATION MEETING. (By Tclosraph—Special Correspondent.) Christchurch, Jln.v 11. The public meeting of citizens held last night in connection with the Coronation proceedings was not allowed to proceed without an unseemly incident. Mr. C. K. Whiting (president, of tho Trades and Labour Council) had moved a resolution appointing a committee to settle tho form of tho Coronation celebrations, when an individual aI. the back of the hall in a loud and raucous voice said he wished to ask Mr. Whiting, as an alleged -supporter of the democracy, whether he could fittingly support Royalty and democracy at one and the same time.

"No, I won't get out. Shut your mouth," said he. as someone tried to pull him back to his seat. ,

Mr. T. Maude silenced the noise for tho time being by getting up and reverting to the business of the meeting, but no sooner had he taken his seat again than another man at the back of the hall got up and said: "A lot of men pretend to be democrats and Labour men, and they go and support a lot of parasites. We want to know whether it is by voluntary contributions or out of the rates, and if out of the rates a public meeting of tho ratepayers will have to be called, and not a private meeting like this." The Mayor, who had been viewing tho speeches with obvious disapproval, said the money was going to be spent out. of the rates, and probably not more than a dozen ratepayers would object to it. It was a pity the question had been raised at tho meeting.

The malcontents at the back of the chamber were, however, not yet done, and shortly after tho first speaker got upon his foet again and started to speak, but was immediately checked by tho Mayor. "You have already spoken," said he. "T am not going to have an open discussion on the question, and I must ask you to sit down." The interrupter, however, continued to speak, amidst cries of "Chair!" Chair!" but the Mayor cut him short by putting the motion' to tho meeting, and quite ignoring 'the speaker, who immediately subsided.