HEARING REFUSED

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 78, 29 September 1938, Page 24

HEARING REFUSED

MR. C. G. SCRIMGEOUR

MEETING AT TIRAU

A ROWDY AUDIENCE

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, September 28

Greeted by uproar and harassed by a constant barrage of interjections, the Controller of Commercial Broadcasting, Mr. C. G. Scrfingeour, was refused a hearing by a section of a large audience at Tirau tonight. There was no serious attempt, to interrupt Mr. A. F. Moneur, Labour candidate for Rotorua, when he spent two hours outlining a' list of Labour benefits, but when Mr. Scrimgeour was called upon to speak a noisy demonstration occurred and almost continuous interjections persisted. Finally, after fifteen minutes' effort to make himself heard, he was.forced to resume his seat.

More than 400 people, representative pf a wide district, crowded into the hall and so thick was the crush that the doors were shut twenty minutes before Mr. Moneur began his address: Scores of people were accommodated in an adjoining supper-room. Others^ stood on the road outside the building or perched precariously on window- . sills, and many others stood in the aisles and on the stage itself. It was apparent from the outset of Mr. Scrimgeour's speech that he would be subject to severe heckling and he experienced the greatest difficulty in uttering a few words without uproar . and cross-talk developing in the audience. A constable in the body of the -■ hall was almost powerless to secure a better hearing. MIXED RECEPTION. Mr. Moneur had begun speaking when Mr. Scrimgeour arrived, but his remarks were interrupted by a furious volley of cheers, applause, cat-calls, and booing. The uproar was renewed as Mr.. Scrimgeour mounted the platform and when he was briefly introduced by Mr. Moneur. Mr. Scrimgeour had been due at Tirau for a social gathering, but he had been.unable to attend, Mr. Moneur explained. He was in the district this week and had expressed the wish m tq "see', something-of-his unseen radio 'audience.

A voice: Because the election is near. (Applause and laughter.) ■-. Mr. Moneur: I am on the box seat tonight andb Scrim ingoing—- (here he was again interrupted by an outburst of cheers, dissent, and laughter). Although a section of his audience was obviously hostile to his policy, Mr. Moneur had no difficulty in coping with sallies from members of the crowd as he proceeded with his address. The announcement of Mr. Scrimgeour as the succeeding speaker was also greeted with relative silence. Mir. Scrimgeour said that he was not really at Tirau to speak at* all. He was really there as a visitor. A voice, amid cries of dissent: We are pleased you came. We Wanted tp see you. . ■;;■ , Repeating that he had not visited Tirau as a speaker, Mr. Scrimgeour said that he had been unavoidably prevented from attending a^ social function at Tirau earlier, and as he was in the district several of his friends said they would like him to go along to the hall this evening. AN UNFINISHED STORY. "When I came in and received such a warm welcome," he continued amid laughter, "I was reminded of an incident in our home when our little girl, | who had a dog-—" J A voice: Bow-wow. Mr Scrimgeour: We will give him a job at the studio as a sound effect man. . , . " Repeated attempts were made by Mr. Scrimgeour to complete .his description of the incident, but without success, one interjector demanding to know what it. had to do witn "Mickey Savage." '~,.., +*. 0 When Mr. Scrimgeour asked if tne audience wished him to finish the story a chorus of assent was broken by a cry of "No,, let's go home, boys. This in turn provoked a demand for ejectment and the suggestion from the back of the hall that one member of the audience should be put out of thy. Wl'T?hole'who do not desire to listen to Mr. Scrimgeour please pass ou., now," requested the chairman, Mr. li. T Brill "There is no possibility oi him-speaking with this noise going on.. FtTs only fair to give him a hearing. Later Mr. Scrimgeour resumed hu, seat. When the chairman called for thanks, the audieffce applauded.