" PLAY THE GAME."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1302, 4 December 1911, Page 7

" PLAY THE GAME."

UPROARIOUS NO-LICENSE MEETING, "SPORTSMEN'S EVENING."' Some half-dozen No-Licenso advocates who spoke on Prohibition at tho "Sportsmen's Evening" at tho Concert Chamber of tho Town Hall on Saturday night met a reception that was not altogether favourable. Throughout the nddresses the speakers wero interrupted by n considerable amount of interjection, and at times there was such uproarious merriment as to temporarily stop the proceedings. A squad of policemen were on duty, and a number of No-Licenso advocates" stood on guard with the object of keeping order. There were no ejections, though at times tho crowd iu tho front of tho hall seemed to think that something of the kind was in progress at tho back, for, whenever a commotion of moro than ordinary volume, or of moro than usual duration occurred in tho rear, the occupants of tho front and tho middle scats jumped to their feet, and preseuted a sea of expectant faces gazing towards tho doors. One of the No-License guards ex horted the members of a section of the big crowd to "Play tho game"; another communicated tho news of having r Tanged for tho ejection of anyone whoso behaviour was not acceptable; and r third declared that anyone who was ejected by tho police would bo subsequently prosecuted. Tho chief excitement was when after an outburst from soma of the crowd, ono of the audience had an interchange of words with some of tho men who wero on guard. The auditor declared that no exception could bo lake-i to tho interjections. "Isn't this a public mcotin»?" ' asked. After a few moro words ho announced that he would not slav any • longer, and, amid some cheering, ho left the hall. The meeting was presided over bv Dr. ivhyte. The speakers were Messrs. !B. ' Low (tennis player!, J. Castle (bowler), C. Strack (hockey), G. S. Smith (Association), and I.onms (Rugby). . .^ r \ n.. I' ow > who spoke first, gavo ms views as a tennis player. , Mr. J, Castle, as a bowler, strongly ■ advocated No-License. Ho. declared that . ho was an enthusiastic bowler, and lie did not think that the game would be in the least impaired by tho carrving of NoLicense. 1 A voice: "Come and have a bowl." Departing from "bowls," Mr. Castle called "science" and other things to the , aid of his general contention. Rev. E. 0. Manures followed. He applied his opinions to cricket. He said that the determination of the Prohibitionist leaders to see the movement |!>T".nr.i, , reminded him of the tough old British sea captain who declared that he would sink a certain Frenchman. Ho would tell the story in the verses written about it. He commenced: "The captain stood on tho quarterdeck " i A voice: "Whence al! but he had fled!" Prolonged laughter followed. Mr. Binmiics then referred to the case of Mastcrton under No-License, and declared (hat it had been proved that (ho photographs of empty shops and of numerous bottles were of no value. Mr. C. Strack said that he was going to put the case for hockey. A voice: "Jlavo you got a vole?" Mr. Strack: "A good many peoplo say that if No-License is carried it will kill sport. Rot!" Ouo of the audience: "Are you over twenty-one?" Mr. Strack: "Does anyone think that it would kill hockey?" A voice: "You shouldn't be up so late." (Laughter.) The speaker went on to say that he bad communicated with an Invorcnrgill hockeyist on tho subject, and had received a _ reply that the district, being a NoLicenso one, had not nu'ecled hockey for the worse. From Auckland lie hod' had word that if No-Licenso wero carried it would bo belter for hockey, Ho had written to Hawern "Where's Ilawera ?" ~;■•. Ilawera, he continued, was Oho of the strongest hockey districts in the North Island, and ho had received information thnt fully 80 per cent, of tho players wero total abstainers. Some peoplo had argued that if there was Dominion prohibition the hockey smoke concerts would bo very dull affairs. That.was nonsense. Last season, after a big match; he had attended a smoke concert, where the onlv intoxicant consumed was half a bottlo o'f porter, and it was quite a jolly affair. Roars of ironical laughter. Voices: Oh, go hon! Really!" Mr. G. M. Smith was introduced to speak for "soccer." There was some enquiry from the body of the hall as to who appointed him to address a public gathering as a representative of the game. Mr. Smith spent some time answering n questioner whoso queries and observations could not be clearly heard. The retorts of Mr. Smith ,too, were drowned in tho uproar. To summarise this advocate's address, it was an opinion that "soccer" would benefit if all the players abstainedfrom or wero deprived of, liquor. ' Mr. E. K. Lomas gave his vfews as an ex-Rugby player. Generally, his opinions wero in accord with those expressed by the previous speakers. He thought "a very fine game" would be much benefited by prohibition. Cries of disscut greeted this; and, also, loud applause. The customary votes of thanks were carried by loud acclamation, and without any expression of dissent, SUNDAY'S DEMONSTRATION. ORDERLY CROWD AT TOWN HALL. An enormous crowd invaded tho TownHall last evening to hear tho addresses on tho subject of No-License, which were given by the Jievs. J. J. North (Vivian Street Baptist Church), J. G. Chapman (Tarauaki Street Wesley Church), and Dr. Gibb _ (St. John's Presbyterian Church). The crowd, in fact, was so largo that an overflow meeting was also held in the Concert Chamber, which was crowded. The Rev. J, J..North presided over the proceedings in tho big hall, wliilo tho Rev. W. S. Potter occupied the chair in the Concert Room. The proceedings in each hall were perfectly orderly, there being no disturbance of any kind during the addresses. Some whistling was heard from tho back of the big hall just on the opening of the meeting, but a. statement from the platform to tha effect that the proceedings wero in tho nature of a religious service,'' and that no applause, even, would bs permitted, apparently acted as a deterrent to those who might have entertained the idea of creating a disturbance. During the course of a vigorous speech, tho Rev. J. J. North referred to tho opposition of vested interest in connection with historic social and humanitarian reforms in tho past. Tho abolition of the slave traftio in tho British West Indies had been bitterly opposed by the commercial interests, who regarded tho expenditure of the X20,n00,000 involved in the liberation of the slaves at tho timo of acute distress in Groat Britain as an economic blunder, but tho humanitarian interests had prorailed over tho influouce of the dollar. Similarly had those tame interests overwhelmed commercial considerations during tho agitation for tho abolition of sweating from British industry when women were being put to hard labour in tho coal roiuos. Children of tender years sweated in factories. They were now engaged in tho abolition of the tho worst traffic in our modern civilisation—the liquor traffic. There wero at a. modest estimate, some 5000 chronic drunkards in New Zealand. One of the arguments raised against the abolition of tho traffic was its unsettling of the financial stability of the country. Ho he-' yet to learu that righteousness spelt bankruptcy. This sort of reasoning had been appearing in the "Finajicinl News," aud had been published broadcast in New Zealand newspapers. Ho characterised it as "financial fiddlesticks," and "tho' climax of a drivelling imbecility." Ho urged them to strike out the top'lino, and so consummate the golden age of commerce in Now- Zealand. The Rev. J. G; Chapman said that thoir '- fight against the trade was a fair fight, fought from disinterested motives, and for the good of humanity. A good deal had been said as to the virtue'of eHv caring tho people to a proper appreciation of tho horrors of the traffic, rather than legislating for its prohibition. All the legislation that was over passed would never make the "Trado" toll tho truth about Mn.sterlou and other No-Li-ccusn districts. What the No-Li-censo party was _ out to do was to rcmovo the facilities for making men drunk and putting a stop to this great waste in national charifcter. The Rev. Dr. Gibb said that ho spoke l«as. to the mat majority in the bill

whom ho felt convinced were confirmed in the support of the No-Licenso movement, and to those whom ho felt equally conyiucod would never be persuaded bv any demonstration however sound of the evil!) of the iraflic, than (o that tection of liis hearers wlio hud not vet made up its mind huw it would vote on Thurst'av, or whether it would at all. lie was not a .believer in Prohibition iu the nbsirnct —there miglif: 1» too much regimentation and espionage—but all (ho same he was going to strike out (he top lino on both papers. Ho was not even dogmatically sure that it was going to be a success, but ho was going to strike out tho top line lor Iho reason thnt the liquor trallic iu New Zealand was a blight and ii miasma, and its methods were Mich that there was no other way of dealing with it, which directly resulted from tha liquor traffic than by making it iinpos. siblo for the trade to carry on its domoralising enterprise. LIVELY SCENES. EASTBOURNE MEETING BROKEN UP. The Hutt No-Licenso League, which i» conducting a scries of open-air meetings throughout the district, had two bin meetings on ■ Saturday night-one ul Hutt and tho other at Petone. in both places a hearing was given tho speakers, and beyond tha usual interjections aad retorts, mingled ni i « c , e , rs for and for "tho ■trade, there was nothing in the way of acute disorder. At Lower Hutt it was freely rumoured Hint a bombardment of eggs would tako place, but only two were- discharged, and. theso landed on tho outsido of tho crowd amongst the rowdy clement. At Eastbourne the Rov. Knowles-Smith, along with tho league organiser, Mr. Sussex, endeavoured to conduct a mooting in the local hall, where about 300 perron* assembled. Mr. Shortt, the Mayor, was in the chair, aud briefly introduced tho speakers. Mr. Smith said that he understood Ihnt a danco was to be held later, aud ho would therefore cut his remarks short. (Cheers aud yells, accompanied by a dcafciihijr buglo call). The speaker was not allowed to proceed with his address, and was repeatedly "counted out." The popular 6ong, "Yip-1-Addy" was riven in doublo forte. The chairman repeatedly appealed, for a hearing, and an endeavour was madeto eject the man with the bugle, but disorder continued. One man ascended (ho platform and asked for a hearing for tha ' speaker, only to be greeted with derisive shouting and cheers. After a while Mr. Smith was nnderstood to say that it was useless endeavouring to proceed, lie moved a vote of thanks tr the chair aud the assemblage dispersed