STORMY NIGHT IN CHRISTCHURCH

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7850, 12 July 1911, Page 1

STORMY NIGHT IN CHRISTCHURCH

MR. MASSEY’S SPEECH POSTPONED

MR. TAYLOR CLOSES THE MEETING

CHEISTCnUHCn, July 11. 'By 7.15 o’clock this evening the Choral Hall in Gloucester street, which has seating capacity for 1500 people, was crammed to the doors to hear Mr W. F* Massey, leader of the Opposition, deliver a political address. The aisles and galJiery—indeed, -every araikiblo foot c£ space—were occupied, while a big crowd clamoured for admission outside- In spite of desperate work by the police, tho crowd became unmanageable, and tho influx could not be stopped. Tho crowd inside the hall alternately called for cheers for Air Massey, Sir Joseph' Ward, and others.

It was evident that under these conditions tho meeting could not bo held, as the crowd outside the building ■ was making a loud din. To make matters worse a* woman fainted in tho crush at Dio Madras street entrance, and this so disturbed the crowd that for some minutes anyone who tried to speak could not make himself hoard.

At twenty minutes to 8 Mr T. E. Taylor, Mayor of Christchurch, stepped forward and announced that unless the aisles were cleared tho meeting could not bo held, as the danger to tho crowdwas too great.

This was greeted by mixed groans and cheers, and tho uproar continued for three or four minutes. »

"It is still ten minutes before starting tamo/* said Air Taylor. ‘Tf those people will kindly go out Mr Massey will address the rost." Ho added thaij ho had consulted Mr Massey before making this announcement.

There was a perfect storm of cheers and hoots whoa Mr Massey stepped forward to speak, and for some time he could not get a hearing. When the noise subsided he said that failing his being able to address the meeting that night he would return and, meet the electors of Christchurch as s-oon as possible and let them hear him. He would not break his promise to let them heal what the Opposition platform was. (Cheers*! TERRIFIC NOISE OUTSIDE. At this stage there was a terrific noise from outside the hall, and no one could be heard. There were loud cries o. "Address 'us in Latimer Square/-* but Mr Massey replied that his voice would not last half au hour in tho open air. Mr Taylor then made another appeal to the people in tho aisles to go out ana let the meeting proceed. A fair number complied with tho request, but su their exit at the front doors the crowd bocamo worse at the side door and threatened to stampede tho seats. Some minutes of uproar elapsed, and at two minutes past 8 Mr Taylor rose and said: "As chairman of this meeting I find it altogether too dangerous for Mr Massey to deliver an address, and 1 therefor© declare the meeting closed." There was no movement on the part of the crowd, however, to leave, but Mr Massey, accompanied by Mr Taylor and tho members of tho Canterbury Reform League who had been able to struggle on to tho platform, turned to go. PANIC THREATENED. There were cries of "Cowards V* and "Come outside! 5 * Someone in the gallery during a lull in the uproar moved a vote of confidence in Mr Massey, and this was heralded by loud cheers* Then sdme foolish person, presumably to induce the crowd to leave tho building, turned out one-of the lamps over the gallery, and this threatened a panic until the police obtained quiet. At ono stage the crowd directly in front of the piatlorm .were being induced by those behind to leave by way of the stage, and a rush on the platform was threatened. As it was many clambered over palms and reporters* tables and crushed through the stage doors at the back of tho building. MR MASSEY EXPLAINS. | By 5.15 tho hall had emptied' to no great extent, but the crowd inside had become considerably quieter. Mr Massey again stepped forward and said:— Indies and gentlemen,—l want to thank you for the compliment you have paid- me, (Cheers.) A voice: Where’s the chairman? Mr Massey: I am not going to make a speech. X have only two words to say. I want to thank you for the compliment you have paid mo in coming hero to-night. (Loud and continued applause.) I haVe como all the way from Auckland to address thus meeting, when nights are valuable, because wo are now within a fortnight or throe weeks of the commencement of tho session. A voice: What about the apology? ’ Mr Massey: I intended to-night to refer to the Acting-Prime Minister’s speech and also to refer to what has been known in Christbhurch as the- TaylorMassoy incident. I intended also to put before you the platform of tho Opposition party to which I belong, (Loud applause.) lam sure once you heard it you would support it very heartily. (Loud applause.) I intended also to show you

DISORDERLY CROWD TAKES POSSESSION OF HALL

the grave defects in the administration of.the present Government, and to put forward considerations you havo not heard from a Christchurch platform, but I cannot do it to-night. Let me say this: I may not be able to do it in one night or two nights, but if I don’t do it in two nights I will do it in three, and I will tell you this, that before the election comes round, even if I have to leave my own district, I will como to Christchurch and meet you hero again from tho platform. (Loud applause.) A vo iso from tho gallery: AVhy are you speaking now? tho Mayor has gone. Mr Massey: I have just been reminded that I indicated to tho Mayor I had no intention of speaking. I have spoken longer than I expected, and I must now again thank you for the hearty reception you have accorded me— (Loud applause.) Some one in the rear of the hall started "For he's a jolly good fellow/' and this was taken up by the throng both inside and outside and sung with fervour. The crowd then gradually filtered from the building. MK MASSEY LEAVES. Mr Massey, accompanied by Mr- C- A. C. Hardy. M.P* for Selwyn* then left the hall, and was followed by a largo crowd. Mr Taylor times expressed regret to Mr Massey at the way things had turned out, but pointed out that under the circumstances the only thing to bo done was to close 4 thc meeting.-^ Interviewed after the meeting Iraq broken up, Mr Taylor said it would have been highly dangerous to hold the meeting, in its, crushed state, and every reasonable minded mail would agree 'with his action in not allowing it. to proceed. "So far hs I was able to see/' said Mr Massey, later on in the evening, (<> the crowd was not a hostile crowd. The impression X got ‘ was that they were friendly rather than otherwise, but all sides of politics were represented at the meeting. I am: quite sure that if I had been able to go on without risk to the audience X would havo had a very friendly meeting, and a very good hearing. As it is X doubt now whether I shall bo able to come back until Parliament meets, but I will come over then and spend a week-end in Christchurch addressing a meeting here, and if necessary, another after that.*' ' UNPARALLELED SCENE ALMOST BEG G AltS DESCRIPTION. MAYOR AND RESIDENT PTXRIODSLT ANGKY. SPECIAL TO: THE "TEHEE." CHEXSTC'HTJE.CH, July 11.

Tho gathering in the Choral Hall this evening was one of the most remarkable that Tin a ever taken place in the political history of this cPy. It had been intended that the leader of the Opposition would deliver a political address covering the platform of his i/arty and replying rto tho speech delivered by Sir James Carroll on Friday evening last. It wasfound impossible, owing to the dangerous overcrowding of tho building, to proceed with the business of the meeting, and Mr Massey was obliged to defer -his address until a later date.

The position in the city in regard to theatres* and other largo buildings suitable for public meetings is that every engaged nightly by various entertainment companies, and the Choral Hall was the only ono available. It is perhaps the smallest of six which might be used, the others being the Opera House, His Majesty's Theatre, the Colosseum, the King's Theatre, the Theatre Royal, and King ..Edwards] 18-arraokis. However, the Choral Hall is estimated to accommodate about LiOO people. TICKET SYSTEM BREAKS DOVTN. The committee of the Reform League, anticipating a very largo audience, made arrangements that admission should ho by ticket, and tickets were accordingly distributed to people who applied for them without regard to the political opinions of applicants. It was hoped by this means to avoid overcrowding, but ait happened the arrangements broke down, and the system of admission by ticket was useless. The crowd rushed th doors, and the hall was packed at seven o’clock.

An hour 'before the advertised - time there must have been thousands of people in the vicinity of the hall. It is impossible to give air- accurate estimate of the number, but there must have been between live and six thousand. The controversy between Hr Massey and the Mayor over the Seddon-Taylor affair had aroused the public interest in the meeting to an extraordinarily keen pitch, and in all probability there were hundreds who wished to attend the meeting in anticipation of some lively scones arising out of that controversy. PUSHING AND STRUGGLING. The scenes at the doors and in the bell almost beggar description. A re-

porter went to the side door in Gloucester rftneet shortly .after a quarter past 7 and found it surrounded by a pushing and struggling crowd of men and women. The pressure was tremendous, and quite a number of ladies on- 1 deavoured, too late, to retreat. It was 1 impossible to mow in any direction except with the crowd, ami that carried everybody inexorably towards the open door* The protests of tho moro chivalrous of the male sex to give the ladies a clear way out were disregarded. The doorkeeper, it was said, had vanished with his hat knocked off and his coat ripped to pieces. ,

LIKE A BLAST FROM A FURNACE. Entering the hall ouo encountered a blast of hot air only comparable to a blast from a furnace after the frosty air of tl)o outside. People were trying to force their way out, and some were assisting ladies towards the door. The inflowing stream was, however, too powerful, and nothing short of extreme, physical force could carry anyone through- The crowd had possession of every seat, of every inch of standing and sitting room. People wore perched in every conceivable position; even tho pillars'bad people clinging to them —people who hung to them precariously. Tho edgo of the platform was fringed with r. closely packed row of people, and the tables set apart for the use of tho reporters had disappeared under a human load. Tho pressmen who had gone to ro* port the meeting had the almost unique experience of not oven catching a glimpse of their tables, so effectively were these articles of furniture being utilised by a portion of th© crowd: Tho. galleries wore full, but there was not the same pressure there that existed on the ground floor. GOOD-TEMPERED CROWD.

Tho people up aloft must have looked down on an interesting scone. Never! before, as far as memory servos, has* there been such a crowd in tho Choral Hall. The paaagea .were filled with people who were prepared to stand there the, livelong night. The tone of the crowd at this time was entirely good tempered. The inevitable wit discharged his sallies, and it is never hard tv draw laughter from a gathering on such an occasion. Remarks 7 more or lee* 5 humorous were * passed, about the people who were seated on the stage, about the reporters as they scrambled on to the! stage, and about anyone who for a moment might show up prominently.

A HURRIED CONFERENCE. In the meantime tho MDyor ’ arrived, an-u at the back 'of'the sLigo he was soon in earnest conversation with Chief** Inspector Throp and Mr Massey. The result 'of the conferencewas that, the Mayor appeared on the stage in front of tho audience. He was received with cheers and counter cheers, and it was at once evident that he had a very largo number of friends in the audience. The announcement he made was one, which everybody must have anticipated. He pointed out the impossibility of holding a meeting while the building’ was so dangerously overcrowded, and he asked the people occupying the passage* to withdraw. Mr Massey, who was also.received with cheers and ’ counter cheers, supported this request. A fair , number acceded to the request, and the people indie passage ways were vociferously urged by those who occupied seats to clear out. It became evident, however,* tliat the passage-ways would never be cleared, and all hope of hearing Mr Massey's address vanished. FURTHER VAIN APPEALS. ' There were further appeals by the Mayor, backed up by Sir Massey, but they wore practically disregarded, and Mr Taylor announced that with the concurrence of tho leader of th© Opposition the address would not be given, A BREEZY SCENE. „ Then came a scene- between Dr Levinge, chairman of the local Reform League Committee, and Mr Taylor, Both men were furiously angry, and words* passed which probably both will, regret in calmer moments. There was a tremendous uproar, especially when Mr Taylor was seen shaking his fist under the doctor’s nose. .

Some interesting sidelights cm the proceedings of the early part of the evening are given by the secretary of the Canterbury Political Reform League. His instructions were to admit to the hall up to 7.45 p.m. every person who produced a ticket, and to admit them only by the Gloucester street door. That door on being opened to onc-half its extent sat 7 o’clock was immediately rushed by the crowd outside. Many applied for admission who did not have tickets. The secretary and the two doorkeepers with him were, doing their best to keep them out. This stale of affairs continued for about a quarter of an hour, when owing, to the pressure from outside the three men found it impossible to longer hold the fort.

TALL.STRANGER CAUSES TROUBLE. For the delay that occurred at the door prior to the crowd getting command of the situation tho secretary stated tli at a tall, square-built man. with a fair moustache was largely responsible. There was a lady with him who possessed a ticket, but her escort did not at first possess one. The tail, square-built man persisted in blocking the fairway. He demanded to boo Mr Hardy, M.P., and was not satisfied ■with, the secretary’s statement that Mr Hardy was not in the hall. Then he accused the secretary of crushing the lady, .but the secretary pointed out that it was the crowd behind that were doing so, at the same time expressing his regret that tho lady was being crushed. This was met by the tall, square-built gentleman with a request that the secretary should adjourn to tlie back of the hall, where they could “have it out.” The lady was passed into the hall, but her escort still remained blocking the fairway and arguing with the, secretary. SECRETARY ASSAULTED. About this time the tall, square-built gentleman evidently lost control of himself, and attempted to hit one of the

doorkeepers or the secretary. The secretary got the blow fair in the middle of his forehead, upon which two fairly large lumps soon appeared. . At length someone passed a ticket to the tall, square-built gentleman. He, perforce, had to be admitted. This gentleman is well-known, by sight to one of the doorkeepers. In the meantime the hall had been successfully besieged in the rear by some unauthorised persons. It was discovered before the Gloucester street door was opened that the key of the door at the north-eastern corner of .the hall at the back was missing, and the door was fastened up with cold and nails. When the crowd got the upper hand at the Gloucester street door the party attacking the hall from the rear had effected an entrance. Some unauthorised persons got to the front of the hall and there overpowered two doorkeepers statipned there to allow only ladies and their escorts to go into tho galleries. The front doors of the hall were then opened by these same unauthorised persons, and then came the deluge, the crowds pouring in from the Gloucester"street door and’ ftom the front doors.