CHORAL HALL FIASCO

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7851, 13 July 1911, Page 1

CHORAL HALL FIASCO

CHRISTCHURCH OPINION WHAT THE NEWSPAPERS HAVE TO SAY. i SPECIAL TO THE "tIITES.” CHRISTCHURCH, July 12* The general feeling in tho city to-day appears to be. that, so far as last night's i meeting was concerned, Mr T. E. Taylor | was in no way to blame for tho circnm- , stances which caused the postponement. ! The simple fact is that the number of people who rolled up in anticipation of ; a lively meeting was greatly in excess of , that expected; and when the crushing and pushing of Hie crowd could not be i controlled, it was seen that it would have | endangered life and limb to have gone on with tho meeting.

THIS MAAORTS GOOD JUDGMENT. Tho “Press,” in an editorial, says : “The Mayor showed good judgment and put the matter with perfect fairness when, after consultation with Mr Massey, lie decided to close tho meeting. It was Impossible to clear any of tho alleyways, and it was evident that, with iho building so densely packed, it would have been dangerous to proceed. Any approach to a panic, which might easily have been brought about in a public meeting wrought to a pitch of political excitement, might have been attended with disastrous results. Hr Taylor, as , Mayor, naturally felt; tho responsibility of his position, and Air Massey, with a considerable experience of largo public meetings, was forced to come to the same conclusion. It was a good natuml crowd which thronged the building, and it. was evident from, the excellent reception with which Air Alasscy was greeted that he would havo had a splendid hearing.” A PERILOUS EXPERIMENT. The “Lyttelton Times” remarks : —“The electors of the city are not accustomed to admission to public meetings by private tickejr, and though the Reform League may have had very good reason for introducing this practice last night, it was a very perilous experiment to try in view of the fact that tho electors had been invited to epdorse the Wellington resolution condemning the Government’s legislation and administration and urging its ejection from office. It looked too much like submitting a very grave indictment of wide public importance to a packed and prejudiced jury, but we are sure that Air Massey was not responsible for tho details of the arrangements. . , • The meeting was not in any sense a disorganised one, though it obviously was very badly organi ed. Despite their private differences, which havo nothing whatever to do with politics and are of course mainly their own concern, both the Alayor and Air AXassoy were warmlv received by the audience, and had the leader of tho Opposition been given on opportunity" to speak he certainly would have had no occasion to complain of tho hearing accorded him. . v . 'ln-the meantime, it is.due to Air Tavlor to say that fie presided over last night's meeting, with the utmost dignity and impartiality, and that he was not tho aggressor in the little 'breeze 7 that took place between himself and the chairman of the Reform League at the conclnsion of tho proceedings-” AIR MASSEY INTERVIEWED. rn;ss association. CHRISTCHURCH, Julv 12, Air Alassey informed a reporter to-day that ho would not be able to return to Christchurch to spe-ak until after the session started. He was speaking- in Auckland next week, and, if ho conld manage it, in four other places before the House met. He added that the Reform League in Christchurch would bo able to announce the candidates for tho city and suburban seats within the next week or two.