MR MASSEY’S MEETING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 121, 14 July 1911, Page 6

MR MASSEY’S MEETING.

(For 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 there were about 1550 people in the hall, which holds 1000 with difficulty, mid probably four or five times ns many outside. Any possibility of accommodating the crowd in the Choral Flail vanished as soon as Mr Taylor issued his challenge to Mr Massey was very evident. The crowd in general was anxious to hear Mr Massey on the Taylor incident, but the dangerous crush put speech out of the question. There was no opportunity of estimating the fooling ot the crowd politically. The reception given Mr Taylor might have been taken as an indication. of sympathy. One of the morning papers says that' when Air Massey returned to the stage he was cheered, and that when ha thanked the crowd for the compliment paid him, the remark was received with long and continued applause. The other paper says Mr Massey got a mixed reception on his returning thanks to the crowd, and was greeted With a great shout of unbelieving and laughter. An unpleasant incident occurred when the chairman of the Reform Association (Dr Levinge) rather bitterly charged the Mayor with bringing a crowd there.

Mr Taylor retorted: “Yon silly little man; if you were not an old man, I could not keep my hands otf you. I have kept my hands off this meeting, and I can control it now.” Subsequently, while still leoling sore against the accusation, Mr 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 in the hall. All sections agreed with the course followed.