SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER

Press, Volume L, Issue 14987, 6 June 1914, Page 11

SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER

HUGE GATHERING IN VICTORIA SQUARE

OPPOSITION- ROWDIES MAKE TROUBLE.

SMALL BANDS WELL ORGANISED

ENTHUSIASM FOR MR MASSEY

Pno decision arrived at early in the '! Jay yesterday to remove the localo of ' the meeting to be addressed by the Prima Minister, the Risht Hon. W. F. : Massey, from the King's Theatre to ! Victoria souaro was amply justified by the fact that tho crowd which assembled was several times larger than the King's Theatre would havo accommodated. Despite the wido publicity given' in tho evening .newspapers to the change which had been decided upon, there was a fairly largo crowd outside the King's Theatre at cix o'clock, and it required a considerable amount of persuasion to convinco those who were waiting that tho meeting would take piace at Victoria Square. On the othor hand, those who had heard of the change in tho arrangements showed almost as much anxiety to bo early on tho scene. Although the lights on the rotunda wero not alight, there was a fairly large crowd assembled shortly after six o'clock. ! Tho crowd continued to increase from ' seven o'clock onwards. The seats pro- j vicled on tho rotunda and on tho ground ! for the .holders of tickets issued for tho ! platform of th.3 King's Theatre, wore all occupied by half-past eeven o'clock, and the general public bad congregated in largo numbers. It was noted that last night instead of the space on tho rotunda being occupied to a. largo extent with easy chairs, as was the caso when Sir Joseph Ward spoke from the same place, the space was devoted to seats for thoso with tickets. The interval of waiting was filled in by a noisy, comparatively small, and, apparently, hilarious portion of the audience with moro or less appropriate intprjoctione. Mr David Jones, tbo Reform Party's organiser, came in for a largo amount of attention. "Wo want Davy," was a favourite cry which was alternated with cries for Fisher. The chorus, "We'll hang Bill Massey on a j sour applo tree," helped to pass away the time, and further amusement to a portion of the audience was caused by the entreaty of "Davy" to "give us a tango " Cheer 3 were calied and given for "Ricketty Russell." In this maimer about half an hour was spent. About ten minutes to eight an outburst of cheering heralded Mr. Maesey's appearance on tho rotunda. Ho was accompanied by the Mayor (Mr. H. Holland), the Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, and Mr W. Nosworthy, M.P. A few seconds later the cheers were almost drowned by hoots and the singing of the chorus already mentioned. Without waiting for the noise to cease, the Mayor briefly introduced the Prime Minister, whose speech was almost continuously interrupted by bands of organised interrupters, one band counting the speaker out, another wildly cheering at the wrong place, and others keeping up a continuous murmur of protest and interruption. As timo passed tho interruptions increased, and at no period did Mr Massey get anything like a fair hearing, although he delivered his speech entirely unperturbed. Tho exhibition of interruption was characterised by its senselessness. There was no occasion regarding which it could be said that the interruptions I were of a legitimate character.