THE MASTERTON SEAT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2328, 9 December 1914, Page 4

THE MASTERTON SEAT

EtVVfIURABLE PORTENTS . C- HON; A. L. HERDMA^S \(:.■:*■■;% f appress ;■'•...'.> '' ffij Telesxwh.-Speoial OorreßDonaenU .''''■ ;. ! iWastertpn, December 8,. A magnificent meeting, an unopposed vote of'.thanks and confidence, and tu- . nyultuous cheering for the Massey Gov-, eminent arid Mr. Herdman marked, the c]osing. scenes of one of the, most note* Worthy.',public meetings ever held in .■'■: Masterton.i The meeting was addressed by thesHori. A. L. Herdman in the Prill Halliat Masterton to-night. The hall was crowded long before 8 q'cloqk; and - the of people shut out ' must iavQ numbered a.t least 1000. It was generally acoepted that the'meot- -. ing would;show a;.trial,of.strength be- .. iw'een. tho/two parties,'"'and the trial .:■: was eminently satisfactory to the Gov- ' : ernment Party, The seating-, capacity of the hall is about looo,but the crowd presentj'musY ha.ye numbered guite 2QOO m tHat'i wnich must be ac- /' cquntedja:;'.very big one for,a';town;of .' th.e size, of'Masterton. There were' pef-;''-,-liaj>s 50 of the disorderly .opponents of the G6,vernments-p_resent.""- : They"had ; tho best of intentions for disturbing ';■' the meeting, and made quite a bold v "showing for perhaps five minutes. They booed almost courageously when Mr. Herdman /entered the hall, but the , ; pheerin'g was so hearty that their faith in their; own power to spoil the ing wag shaken. .They tried-a.'"counts ■;.:' out" by-aiil-by, in which a steadily do- . creasing" itumber took part,li'and'.tbo. nqisiestyparticipator heard noj : morp;of ' thespejschi being scut to/coolshis heels :! outside:: /After this t!io opposition . which M-f'! Herdman had to riieet consisted Jonly of stupid interjections, in no way disturbing. _ v * ; ■■■ Mr delivered a vigorous address, on the: lines.f'bf ,ljis' speech in the AVelluigton .Towri' i Hal]:.the,p}'evipus evening, tHe /' ' atten- ; tive and-j 1 exceeditigly.": friepdly ■•• hear- : ing. !Mayor "of. ! the town,'presided. : | greeted, with a mixedv demonstration* of j cheers -jiand greaisS,when ' heVrpso ,; to',! .'■ speak, obut' ■ the wero jnsigriifi-. ..; cant. : He : said that-3."there wap any-. thing toy'war'm qrie's'. heart and to'Jmake it bourid;';itfwaß theim'ag-.: ■ nificenjt gathcrmg ] .to' hear everiihgj'-' 1 - ~-v •:->»■-•' :; ";i S'. A.Firni jftfaill%ii>\;'.;s:}.£ There was an while'. -■ an ignqminipus]y ffeeble.'";."count7q'ut'' : was attempted, in the. ■ disturbance was usjiereoF.'qut : Jiy'.Vthe police,". arid 'this - le.d' r t'tp,.J ?ome.:,further

noise, fS. • ; 'W. V V;:,l\, ■ :Mr. jHerdman very rnuckly^gave: 'a' definite: indication of what he tljpugHi' of such disturbanqes. JVJher'e appeafe to. b'egihfoughout" &, said, "am organised band'of hoodlums .who are determined to iinterrupt Pllblic, meetings.'.: You know nightl. when' the Prime Minister was-';proceeding to; 'tis meeting, his motor-oar~was stopped ion' the road ——", iS-Ri -An iiitferjector:, It should have been hurnt.« . jj;. . . ">;'!% ■>

■■ And the Sires of his car were out. When' he proceeded to addressKthe' meeting, somepne' iinterfered the engine supplying: • light to the" hall, and the meeting hacl to be broken up. After the over.what happenedP When'iMr. Bradney, the meinlber for the, district; v '-and''Mr. Massey. were proceeding:jrom...the_hall they were hustled/ a the ..daughter of Mr, Bfidney.faifitedj'jo'wirig.to the jostling, 4rid3.h.e:qß'asz;iranipTed; .upon ;.by the msb;svr ; '■'"'" '' Ad jnteriector who had been making frequeiits.'senseless remarks ■. said: .-."lt

.was dorie'.by your party."-/.•*■"•;,■ :..-..." *'K tKat; gentlpman dqqsri't - mind'- his. bi'sinessvlie will be put dutXfrom'.-' this uajl,"-'said-Mr. Herdinan. ' ! I am-quite 3atisfied : '^hat' this sort. of- ..things/has' eqne far;' enough. If the Liberals and Red Federation of Labour are not going to give the peopl.p qf New-: Zea-. land then jt will' be the duty of- the*.ai}thorities. to "sqe'. that "people who wish; (to address public meetings are give&. : % fair hearing." (Applause.)

Is It to Be? 'At- the people of New Zealanil Jwpuld have to dpoido whether they would have Mr. Massey to control the affairs or the Opposition Party_ ?plua'. the Federation of Labour. to be?'' he asked, "~le it .to be SJrViJJaßsey? (Loud cries of "Yes" and The audience answers •'Yes.': ; -;ls'.it to be Sir Joseph Ward?" XLoud brieS of "No.") " ''Sincere have taken office,| ! s,aid Mr, !Herdm"an,:?"we have lived ju : 'tllp storm/, (Hear,.hear.j When ,we office;, the TvaihiT.strike.'had' been,-'going- forj eight week's. did righii-in dealing.asVwe\did'witli:th;at-'6trike4;ih9vneKt'-Siing'';ithat we were' called urjbii to' i trouble ■ .that bese^jthfl,^tjyo^Tacev^\Aftei^we; had dealt?with that} lo and'behold) what iiappen'eo/P/The^gfNeatest - strike. that : eyw : occurred;'ih;:.:thisv along, and it." - -.■'■'•■• :, "' : •A voicer "¥pu : lettle'd it." ','"''■ ■ Mr,,, Herdman: "Yes,: we settled... .it. {Applause")' After we had coped suc-cessfully-withl'all these -difficulties this ,war, cloud hurst. '.'.. "I would ask : you to Temember soni'e- . thing >Waihi Ut: strike ■Itinj'e. You' x may remember > "that the British ensign .was jpulled down from the mast, was cuf-to"piece's,-and burnt'in the'.public street of the town of Waihi." A voice: "Who done that?" ' Mr. Herdmaiu "The Red Feds., So, ladies and gentlemen, pur opponents in ■politibs, the Opposition," are - bound to-s gother in this ' political contest with a;\band of men whp will tear 'down from a flagpole the ensign pf our cpuntryv'-the symbol- qf 'patriotism, who .will-cut it to. pieces and burn it in tho. public street. .Now.'you know, ladies andt gentlemen, what you have got to facg. "Why is the, Red Federation' bo anxious to have the Opposition returned vito (power?..-;' Because ;:thoy know that so long as we are in power they iwill he kept in check." (Applause.) • " Mr. J. B. moved a vote >f thanksto Mr. Herdman and of coiift-dence-'in the Massoy Government. This

motion was seconded by Mr. Smith. : Then.a young man,-Mr.- F<, Hunter, in hysterical accents,- moved the Wg>hysterica}'amendment: "Since the Massey has administered thej affairs of, in the interof monopolies, "trafficking in the ■necessaries of life, of%the i mining and shipping magnates —and directly and mgst"ttyraiiii|ca'lly against thejworkers of 2ea!iipdW(L;oud laughter, and grips meeting of Mastert6'ii';'el'e'fttorC"R'ssures bur* fellpw-citizensithroughdut.; .the' Dominion that We;^.rJ|Tdq l powe rto end thei rtile-'bl;vihV;desppts— (Laughter)— tlieieby'qlearV. .thevsyiiy; for ilthe attainment' of -the liberty,' freedom, and aspirations of'tho people." (Applause.) : , The .• amendment' being put 'to the meeting first was supported' by a feeble chorus of "Ayes!" and a determined shojrt of "Noes I" from at least gvß times as many people, -.■ . " : The original..motion: was then put. ■Hid' shout for' the ayes was so-conyinc ing! that when Mr. Coradine called for the? "Noes" there was \no answer, and he declared the motion carried unanimously. ■/'.'-.'. ■' .'.-•■;'■■ The .meeting broke up with wildly enthusiastic cheering for the Massey Government and Mr. Herdman. Cheers wore also 'givenr'for•'Mr. Sykes, and feeble cheers from the noisy interrupters l.afprementione.d. r-.. for ha Joseph [Ward*'aid Mr. Hogg.