BROKEN FANE OF GLASS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16506, 17 August 1921, Page 7

BROKEN FANE OF GLASS.

BILL TO CO TO SAILORS’ SOCIETY,

ROWDY MEETING SEQUEL.

As a result of a rowdy meeting of the British and Foreign Sailors’ Society last evening, there is a jagged window pane in one of the swing doors of the Y.M.C.A. concert hall. A scuffle of some kind caused the damage.

•Explaining the circumstances to-day, Mr Jt. A. Kenner, secretary of tlio Y.M.C.A., said, “ AYe could not allow tho Y.M.C.A. buildings to bo turned into a bear garden. The hall had been hired in the ordinary way, and we could not allow anything of a. nature which would reflect on tho Y.M.C.A. as an institution. Therefore, we had to do all that was possible to seo that the cause of the disturbance was removed. The officials who were in . barge of tho meeting declined to close tho meeting, and we had to make an intimation that wo could nob be responsible for what was occurring, and that the people at the meeting must withdraw. 1 went back to a meeting ef my association’s board of directors, and then one of the subscribers to the society came down and said, on behalf of tho other subscribers, that they had come along to the meeting because they were interested in the affairs of the society, and that they could undertake that order would be preserved. Under those circumstances, he asked that they should be allowed to proceed with the meeting. This request was acceded to. and, in view' of tho fact that the proceedings quietened down, the meeting was allowed to conclude.” “Who will pay for the window?” “ The treasurer of tho Sail rs’ Society undertook last night that ‘ his society would see that t the damage was repaired.* ” “ The society will have to pay for tho damage?” “ Yes.”

Mr A. J. M’Eldowney, a Y.M.C.A. official; who was on duty when the disturbance occurred, said: “ The president of tho Sailors’ Society, Mr Miller, took liis stand at the door of the concert hall about a quarter of an hour before tho meeting started, and he began questioning the light of some people to enter the hall. A certain amount of wrangling took place, and one man protested against being refused admission. He was pushed against the door, with the result that the glass fell with a clatter. I then entered the concert hall and protested against such proceedings taking place in the Y.M.C.A. building, mentioning that this was tho first occasion when such a thing had happened there. Mr Kenner (the association’s secretary), then came to the hall and requested the chairman of the society, Mr Miller, to close the meeting. This Mr Miller refused to do, and in order to protect our property and the good name of the Y.M.C.A., Mr Kenner himself declared the meeting closed. The meeting broke up, and animated groups continued conversation in t he vestibule and in the concert'* hall. Mr Deverill approached Mr Kenner as to the possiblitv of the meeting continuing, providing a guarantee of good order was given. This eventuated, and tho meeting continued. The Y.M.C.A. are sorry that thev had to declare the meeting adjourned over the heads of the society, hut we certainly felt that we could not he responsible for property where such a state of excitement continued