A NOISY MEETING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15557, 14 March 1914, Page 8

A NOISY MEETING.

MR. FISHER HOWLED DOWN. ANGRY SOCIAL-DEMOCRATS. MR. HOLLAND SILENCED. CROWD MUCH EXCITED. [BY TEL^OBArn— correspondent] 'Wellington, Friday. Cheering, and hooting and general disorder, with intense excitement and indescribable confusion, made it impossible for the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher to address the electors of Wellington Central in St. Peter's schoolroom to-night. Long before eight o'clock the hall, which would ordinarily seat about 350 people, was crowded, but when the meeting opened there must have been 600 people in the building. It was the first public meeting to be addressed in Wellington by a member of the Government, or, indeed, by any member of Parliament, since the strike, and it was generally taken for granted that the meeting would be lively. The Federatiouists, or Social-Democrats, got there early, and they were very sure that they had such a majority that they could control the meeting. They succeeded in spoiling the meeting, but before it was over the other people present, who must have in the end outnumbered them by two to one, gave them a little of their own sauce. Mr. Fisher's appearance in the body of the hall, on his way to the platform, was tho signal for an outburst of cheering and hooting. The cheering was loudest, but the hooting was the longest sustained. Mr. Fisher's supporters had not yet become enthusiastic. When he tried to speak the hooting and shouts, and a cry like sheep bleating, with an accompaniment of cheers all the while, prevented his going on. A Challenge Accepted. All this Mr. Fisher met with an imperturbable smile. Some very deepthroated Federationiste surrounding soma well-kntfwn Federation leaders had been making a noise persistently, and Mr. i Fisher said." "I am qnite prepared to lot these gentlemen, who are making a demonstration, put up anybody they like on the platform against me." i The challenge was accepted in half a dozen places, and Mr. Holland was nominated as the antagonist. After a short conference with Mr. Fisher, Mr. Holland came forward and announced that it had been agreed between himself and Mr. Fisher that Mr. Fisher should speak for an hour and that then he was to speak. Ho asked the Social-Democrats to give Mr. .Fisher a hearing. Mr. Fisher did not get a hearing. He stood up and faced gibes and hoots and deafening uproar for nearly an hour. What he did say was in defiance of the noisy demonstrators, but he could not possibly have shouted down from 100 to 200 men and he made Way for Mr. Holland. Mr. Holland Not Wanted. Then Mr. Fisher's , friends had their innings. Mr. Holland was greeted with groans and continuous stamping of feet and cries, often .repeated, of "We want Fisher." Mr. Holland did not utter one syllable of his speech to the crowd. They would have none of him. The federationists were furiously angry, but amid the indescribable uproar and confusion they were probably discerning eh6ugh to see that they could not do just as they liked with that meeting. • ';'■-.-■ There were some six policemen present, and while Mr. Fisher was speaking three or four men were, ejected for misconduct. While Mr. Holland stood silent on the platform for upwards of half an hour, there were occasional outbursts of cheering for Mr. Fisher. These became more and more lusty and more frequent. Presently there was a better organised cheer than usual, and then at 9.45 p.m. the lights in the centre of the hall were switched off, leaving the wall lights only. The hall was not left in- darkness, but the crowd accepted this as the signal to break tip the meeting. No resolution of any kind was put. Mr. Holland stood on the platform waiting to speak, tut as his presence there was causing disorder, a sergeant of police spoke to him and he left, though not without some protests.