POLICE ACT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23565, 27 January 1940, Page 12

POLICE ACT

MEETING STOPPED

A PACIFIST SOCIETY

INCIDENT AT NEWMARKET

Police stopped a meeting held by the Christian Pacifist Society in the Newmarket' Reserve last night after it had been proceeding for a few minutes. Although two speakers received many interjections from the group of-about 70 persons, there was no suggestion of any serious disturbance when the gathering abruptly ended. It was stated subsequently, however, that the Newmarket Borough Council had forbidden the meeting and had asked the police to see that its wishes were carried out.

Shortly after eight o'clock the Rev. O E. Burton, of Wellington, mounted a box on the edge of the reserve a few yards from the intersection of Broadway and Khyber Pass Road. For a short time ho spoke without interruption, but when, in referring directly to the war, he stated that the blockade against Germany was wrong, a man, who said «he was a returned soldier, demanded to know why. There were several cries of disagreement when Mr. Burton said that "Germany is afraid of us and ive are afraid of Germany." Barrage of Questions

A series of questions from a woman followed. She demanded to know what the- speaker had done with his knitting, and then asked if he had ever been in an axr raid, adding that she "had just come out of one."

At this stage, amid a number of other interjections, a plain-clothes police officer took Mr, Burton by the arm and led him to the edge of the small crowd, instructing him to stop speaking. Mr. C. R. Howell, secretary to the Auckland branch of the Christian Pacifist Society, then mounted the box, but was met by cries from all sides when he began to speak. Chief among the interjectors was the woman who commented that his action was "dashed cheek" and asked where his uniforxn was. Decision of Council After a few moments, the police officer, who was accompanied by a number of constables in uniform, requested Mr. Howell to discontinue. His place was immediately taken by a man from the crowd, who shouted: "As a private citizen, I have just, seen an example of what we are fighting against in Germany —Hitlerism —and, as a believer in free speech, I protest." As he jumped down he received a mixed reception from the gathering.

Mr. Burton and Mr. Howell later went away. The town clerk of Newmarket, Mr H. Wilson, said later that he had received a letter from the society on Thursday asking for permission to hold the meeting in the reserve. After consulting the Mayor, Mr. S. Donaldson, he had sent a reply the same day declining permission. A copy of his "reply was also sent to the police with a request that they should stop any meetings in the Newmarket Reserve or streets held by the Christian Pacifist Societ3 - or any other organisation.