ROWDY GATHERING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4602, 4 July 1917, Page 7

ROWDY GATHERING.

SIX O’CLOCK CLOSING MEETING

POLICE CALLED TO EJECT INTERRUPTERS.

A PEACEFUL CONCLUSION.

According to the N.JZ. Times the meeting in favour of six o’clock closing of hotels, held in the Wellington Town Hall, was a large and enthusiastic one, in which, , hoAvevcr, the speakers Avere subjected to a measure of " interruption. At one stage;" the meeting greAW very boisterous, but later interruptions greAv ( less frequent and the proceedings concluded peacefully. ' ‘

Amidst frequent interruptions, the Rev. Smallfield opened the "meeting. He referred to the great gathering present, and to the previous demonstration. The Avar, proceeded the speaker, had brought about many changes. There had been great political changes, and there were more to come. There had been also great changes in national character, and the AA r ar had, and rvas still, educating people as to the danger of the drink traffic. Those present Avcre there making history for the Dominion. The/ foregoing remarks were supplemented Avitli a reiteration from a man in the front roAv of “You have cold feet.” The speaker ignored the interruptions, and concluded his address.

•Commissioner Hodder Avas the next speaker. “I am here to-night—-he commenced!.

A voice: “You belong to the Avrong army,”

POLICE AID CALLED FOR

! Commissioner Modeler made to con- ' tinue, but as there were frequent in- ; terrupt-ions, he appealed to the police ■to see that order Avas kept. The row continuing, tAvo policemen made their . AA-ay to the front of the hall, Avhere i the main disturber, a man on crutcliI es, Avith a military ribbon on his coat, | Avas sitting. Amidst great excite- ; ment, a deafening chorus of . hoots, i and cries of “Shame!” the soldier Avas helped on liis crutches out of the hall, i When the noise had subsided Commissioner Hodder endeavoured to continue. “We are hero to-night to see that the hotel bars are closed after 6 p.m. ” Cries of “No.” The greater number of those Avho frequented the hotel bars. Avent on the speaker, Avere those Avho had no loA r e for- their homes. . They Avere slaves of their own passions, and endeavoured to bring into the hell in Avhicli they Avere, other men. Then .there AA'ere those A”ho just hung about the streets and to AAdiom the hotel bars Avere a big temptation. Drink Avas not necessary. (Applause.) Its demoralising effects Avere visible everyAvhere. The young man Avho left a good home to go to camp often succumbed to the many. temptations and inducements offered in the city by the drink traffic, and AA-hen be returned to his home Avas a sorrow and disgrace to his mother. Cries of “Rot.”

COUNTED OUT.

! At this stage another person was put out of the hall amidst hoots, i Avhile, as the speaker made to proi ceed, he Avas counted out noisily. He continued amidst lioavls of derision. When the noise abated Commissioner Hodder could be heard asking lioav could' they expect soldiers to be effective at the front Avith the unlimited facilities afforded them for drink ? There was the argument that 6 o’clock closing Avould take away-the ■ liberties of the. people. If this were i a good argument, then why had police : to keep order P Why Avas there a Government at all? “Why, I ha\"o to lie careful Avhat I say myself, or I ; would be where Webb and, Semple j are.” (Applause and laughter.) “It as much the duty of the Government to guard against . this hellish drink business as it is to guard ! against the destroying of ships 1)5 the submarines/’ (Great applause).

MORE INTERRUPTION

| The noisy clement at the back of j the hall was again apparent at this ’ stage. , , _ i ‘T might tell you,” shouted ComJ missioner Hoddsr, loudly. 1 tout between the hours of six and ten p-m. ion Saturday last of eight , hotels ‘ Avatched 2441' men entered ’ < Terrific applause from the rear of ' the hall interrupted the speaker. ! “And of those avlio came out a very ;large proportion Avere more or less j under the influence of liquor, aimed i Commissioner Hodder. | Here the front of the hall applauded lustjly.

A LADY SPEAKER

j "Rev. Smallfield arose at. this stage and remarked that it was. evident ■ that a section of the audience v .s ! not in accord with the meeting.. A voice: “Give him a drink of water.” Mr Smallfield said he hoped that the noisy ones would give a fair hear- ■ ing to the next speaker, as she was a ilady. . ; Amidst great applause, Mrs Napier (Edinburg) came- forward to speak, j - Mrs Napier said that she could not ! believe that New Zealand could be in 1 such a state as she found it to-day. New Zealand, which she thought in 1 the front of civilisation, she found in a lamentable state in regard to drink. ; Mrs Napier went on to refer to the great work done by women in England for soldiers. ■ The work wa & really marvellous. ; At this stage, there were renewed • mumblings at the rear of the hall, and ‘ the audience arose to see another dis- , turber escorted from the building, i Mrs. Napier declared that the} I could not have greater arguments ‘ for the.ir'cause than tbs objects bem ir , ! removed from the hall. (Great ap- ! plause and laughter.) Mrs Napiei i proceeded to detail the number of I drunken men she had seen about the streets of Wellington. Why, one night before 10 p.m., I saw six men drunk about a hotel——’’ Shocked cries of “Oh!” from the rear of the hall. •, . , Mrs Napier: “Yes, I hav e no donut there were more.” She conclude’ her address amidst applause, with an eloquent appeal to those present to do all in their power to bring about 6 o’clock closing.

LEGISLATION VIEWED WITH ' CONTEMPT.

The Rev. J. Paterson, ALA., in coinin" forward to move a resolution in favour of 6 o’clock closing, said the movement was not merelya pioliibition movement, foi they • many other people with it. « sneaker wished to ask bn James n len why he allowed the so die s to come to town to drink, when he would not allow under any circumstance,, a wet canteen in camp ™oniry that the legislators .of the coin i li l +u, w were viewed witn knew that they . , fnilnro to sheer contempt f°r iLo 1

bring the hotelkeepers into line. '(Great Applause.) Then there was the fact that the calling up of the Second Division would leave many young men unprotected, and it was for those present to wave the liquor trade to stand aside, and say “M e will protect these young hoys.” Mr Paterson then read a resolution to the effect that, having heard the terms of the petition to be presented to Parliament, asking for the restriction of the sale of intoxicating liquor, the meeting demanded upon 1 arliament, without delay, the passing of a measure prohibiting the sale of liquor after . G p.m. (Loud applause.)

SNIPEIt AND SNIPED

Mr C. H. Poole, M.P., spoke subsequently. “If some of these hoys,” Ji© began, “who have been sniping around the hall ” ~ A voice * 1 'And in France, too. Mr Poole: “But they cannot escape the: fact that the people on this platform are the greatest friends of democracy. Mr Poole roused great enthusiasm with his address. He contended that members of Parliament had dodged the matter of 6 o’clock closing. I ney would have to face it now however. There was no doubt that democracy and the liquor business could not prosper side by side. In conclusion. Mi Poole said he must appeal with all his force for this agitation to go forward and bring about a bettei con dition of (Great «pla» S e ) In response to loud cues, Mi J - , Isitt. M.P., came forward, and spoke “e'motion was then put to the meeting. A display of hands slio - el a cTreat number in favour of. the ttioS »d ■». m* i The gathering was National close with the singing of the Nation Anthem. 1 -