BAITING "HONEST"JOHN BURNS

Evening Star, Issue 15074, 4 January 1913, Page 7

BAITING "HONEST"JOHN BURNS

There were some lively incidents in connection -with the recent chrysanthemum show at Battersea (London)," when the. President of the Local Government Board (the Hon. John Burns) officiated. For fully a quarter of an hour every attempt on the pirt of the Minister to speak was frustrated, and it was not ti!L 12 men and women suffragists had been forcibly ejected by the stewards that Mr Burns could get on with his speech. As soon as he rose a. woman shouted : " You have no right to come here and talk about chrysanthemums or anything else until women have the vote." She was ejected amid cries of '■ Coward !" but the turmoil was resumed immediately alter. Another woman was dragged to the door, a man fighting with the stewards who put her out. Mr Burns shouted to the audience to sit down, whereupon another screamed : " Sit down yourself, Mr Burns." Mr Burns said '''Put her out," and the woman, resating, was literally pulled out of the hall amid an uproar. In nearly even- part of the hall stewards were "wrestling with either male or female suffragettes, and the frightened wailing of children added to the excitement. After further evictions. Mr Burns again essayed to address the gathering, and this was the signal for the storm to break out afre~h. " Women were shrieking and waving their hands in different parts of the building, and two were dragged along the floor by their arms. Alter a quarter of an hour of disorder Mr Burns proceeded .with his speech, and urged the audience not to take anv notice of _ '• that little bleat," when one woman with a thin voice interrupted A. moment later a man shouted "Votes for women." and Mr Burns indignantly exclaimed: "lon seem to he" an active 0.-jremt;cr of the whole thin-'." "I am" the iran retorted. -'Well, put him out, hfare Jiim out," shouted Mr Burns, and ins order was ooeyed with some difficulty. xV.r l.urns ordered several other interruoters to oe ejected, and a number of police vmio had been called in assisted in the operations.