PROPOSED SPEECH ABANDONED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXIV, Issue 17733, 5 December 1919, Page 5

PROPOSED SPEECH ABANDONED

COLOSSEUM PACKED TO DANGER

POINT,

LOCKED-OUT CROWDS BREAK IN

BETWEEN 6000 AND 7000 PEOPLE

PRESENT,

CHRISTCHURCH, December 4

In response to a request of the Mayor of Christchurch (Dr Thacker, M.P.), the Prime Minister arrived in Christchurch this evening with the intention of delivering a political address in the Colosseum, one of the largest halls in the city. This building can safely accommodate about 4000 persons. The' meeting was to commence at S and it was avertised that ladies, with their escorts, would be given the privilege of admittance. By 7 o'clock the ordinary seating accommodation of the Colosseum was occupied, and the doors were closed. For the next hour the queues were heavily congested, and there began an insistent clamour for admittance. Mr Massey, with the Mayor and others, arrived at 7.45, the Prime Minister being received with cheers and counter demonstrations both from inside and outside.

| The Colosseum entrance facing Gloucester Street was a scene of great e-citement by 7.30, with men struggling to approach the doors, &,nd scores of people ventilating personal grievances or political convictions. An enterprising section of young men had climbed up to the corrugated roof and proceeeded to storm the skylights. The police were powerless in such a huge crowd. The tinkling of broken glass was mingled with cheers and hoots from hundreds of voices. There was not seating accommodation left for anybody in the building a quarter of an hour before the announced time of opening the meeting, and as there was a large percentage of ladies present, the exceptionally large posse of police on special , duty would "not then allow any more people in. Under these circumstances, it wps seen that it would be unwise to continue with the meeting because, in the event of anyone being overcome by the vitiated atmosphere, it would have been almost impossible to reach the exits. Mr Masssy himself was doubtful about proceeding with the meeting, owing to the density and 'excitement of the audience, but the Majjor advised him < to hang on. Just as the Mayor proceeded to open the meeting a determined storm was set up by a section of those who were locked out on a fire escape,, and the chairman's remarks were inaudible because of a great din set up by the battering ram- of the stormers. Dr Thacker was heard to say it was only British fair play to give the Prime Minister of the1 country a fair hearing. He regretted that Christchurch did not have a large enough hall to accommodate the huge crowd which'desired to hear the leader of the Government speak in Christchurch:

After the chairman's remarks Mr Mas&ey briefly conferred with him, and then rose to speak. He had hardly expressed his pleasure at seeing such a huge gathering when his voice was drowned by the excited effort of the battering rams on the side doors, and, these giving way, hundreds of men poured like Niagara Falls into the already overpacked audience. It was estimated there were between 6000 and 7000 people in'the hall. A police official was noticed fighting his way to the platform, when the Mayor stood up and announced above the tumult that the meeting could not be held in the Colosseum on account of the overcrowding, but Mr Massey would give an address at the band rotunda, Victoria Square. There was then a rush for the exits by electors desiring to .gain vantage points at Victoria Square.. Those who got there were regaled by a br^ss band giving an 'open air concert. Meanwhile Mr Massey and others were fighting their way to the ante-rooms behind the platform. Mr Massey i^emained in the ante-room until the congestion was removed, and then went to his hotel.

Interviewed afterwards, the Mayor said he was very sorry for what had occurred, but it proved the need for Christchurch having a Town EDaH which could accommodate the vast crowd which would turn out on such occasions.