MR. MASSEY'S COMMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17335, 5 December 1919, Page 6

MR. MASSEY'S COMMENTS

DANGEROUS OVERCROWDING. RIGHT OF FREE SPEECH. "ONLY A PASSING PHASE." [BY TELEGRAPH. — ASSOCIATION.] CKRISTCHTJBCH. Thursday. Interviewed late tonight, the Prime Minister said the "was uncomfortably crowded from the outset, and the trouble commenced when a number of men, several hundreds of whom were outside, burst open the door and gained an entrance. Owing to the inrush of these men, the hall became seriously overcrowded and it was apparent that it would be quite impossible to go on with his address. He did not care to comment on what took place, except to say that if the right of free speech was to be interfered with, as had been the case on several occasions during this election, then it was a case of good-bye to the liberty and freedom of which we had been so proud in the past. Mr. Massey said he felt certain it was only a passing phase, and what was going on. at present would bring its own remedy at no distant date. Mr. Massey added that he had engagements every night up to the polling date, and was sorry he could not come back to Christchurch to speak. NO HOSTILITY TO ME. MASSEY. OVERCROWDING THE CAUSE. [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHEISTCHUBCH. Thursday. It should be made perfectly clear that in the whole of the regrettable proceedings at the Coliseum to-night no hostility whatever was shown to Mr. Massey by the enormous audience in the hall. The crowd in the hall, and the majority of those outside it, were merely eager to hear Mr. Massey, but this was made impossible by the crushing and crowding and the resultant noise.