MR MASSEY'S MEETING

Southland Times, Issue 16785, 13 July 1911, Page 5

MR MASSEY'S MEETING

AFTER THE EVENT. lAIPARTIAL COMMENT. (Special to the “Times.”) CHRISTCHURCH, July 12. The general feeling In the city to-day appears to be tiiat, so far as last nignt s meeting was concerned, Air T. E. Taylor was in no way to be blamed for the circumstances 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 the crowd could not be controlled it was seen that it would have endangered life and limb to have gone on with the meeting. •The “Press,” in an editorial, says:— “The Alayor showed good judgment and put the matter with perfect fairness when, after consultation with Mr Massey, he decided to close the meeting. It was impossible to clear any of the alleyways, and It was evident that, with the building so densely packed, it would have been dangerous to ■ proceed. Any approach to a panic, which might ea ily have been brought about in a public meeting brought to a pitch of political excitement, might have been attended with disastrous results. Air Taylor, as Alayor, naturally felt the responsibility of his position, and Air Alassey, with a considerable experience of large public meetings, was forced to come to the same conclusion. It was a good natured crowd which thronged the building, and it wes evident from the excellent reception with which Mr Alassey was greeted that he would have had a splendid hearing.” The "Lyttelton Times” remarks: — “The electors of the city are not accustomed to admission to public meetings by private ticket, 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 the electors had been Invited to endorse the AVellington resolution denouncing 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 sura that Mr Alassey was not responsible for the details of the arrangements The meeting was not in any sense a disorganised one, though it obviously was very badly organised. Despite their private differences, which have nothing whatever to do with politics and are, of course, mainly their own concern, both the Alayor and Mr Alassey were warmly received by the audience, and had the Leader of the Opposition been given an opportunity to speak he certainly would have had no occasion to complain of the hearing accorded to him In the meantime it is due to Air Taylor to say that he presided over last night’s meeting with the utmost dignity and impartiality, and that he was not the aggressor in the little breeze that took place between himself and the chairman of the Reform League at the conclusion of the proceedings.” THE UHPOBXUNATE INCIDENT. ‘ (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, July 12. The fiasco of last night’s political meeting is the chief topic of conversation in the city to-day. It is estimated that Ah ere was above 1500 people in the building which holds a thousand with difficulty, and probably four or five fimes as many outside. Any possibility of accommodating the crowd in the Choral Hall had vanished as soon as Air Taylor issued his challenge to Air Alassey and of course the great majority of the people assembled early. They were exasperated to learn that tickets had been issued, the announcement having been made only in the evening papers, and when the door was opened to admit ticket holders the crowd simply took charge. It was very evident the crowd in general was anxious to hear Air Massey on the Taylor Incident, but the dangerous crush put the speech out of the question. There was no opportunity of estimating the feeling of the crowd politically, though the reception given Air Taylor might have been taken as an indication of sympathy. One morning paper says that when Air Alassey returned to the stage lie tyas cheered and that when he thanked the crowd for the compliment paid him his remarks were received with long continued applause. The other paper says that Air Alassey got a mixed reception and his thanks to the crowd were greeted with a great shout of unbelieving laughter. Good humour was the feature of the whole proceedings, the only unpleasant incident occurring when the chairman of the Reform Association (Dr Levinge) rather bitterly charged the Alayor with bringing the crowd there. Air Taylor hotly retorted: “You silly little man. If you were not an old man I could not keep my hands off you. I have kept my hands off this meeting and I can control it now.” Subsequently, while still feeling sore against the obviously unjust accusation Air Taylor declared that Dr Levinge’s suggestion was utterly false. The crowd accepted the decision to close the meeting as inevitable in view of the dangerous crush inside the hall and all sections agreed that the only possible course was followed. MB MASSEY INTERVIEWED. CHRISTCHURCH. July 12. Mr Massey Informed a reporter to-day that he would not be able to return to Christchurch to speak until after the session started. He would be speaking in Auckland next week, and, If he could manage it, in four other places before the House met. Air Alassey added that the Reform League in Christchurch would be able to announce the candidates for the City and suburban scats within the next week or two.