A LIVELY INTERLUDE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 127, 15 February 1918, Page 6

A LIVELY INTERLUDE

INTERRUPTER HUSTLED OUT. Mr. J. P. Luke's meeting at the Kelburn Kiosk last evening was generally very quiet and orderly. During the iirst live minutes it promised to be the exact reverse, llr. J. Dowdall being in evidence as soon as the chairman (Mr. John Hutcheson) commenced to speak. Mr. Hutcheson said that if the interruptions continued lie would ask tlie power of the meeting to "heave him (Mr. Dowdall) out." "Well—just you make a start!" said Mr. Dowdall. Somebody referred tn the mterjector as •'Comrade Dowdall." "I'm not 'Comrade,' I'm 'Mister,' tho same as anyone else, and I've every right to talk." (Uproar.) ""If he goes much farther, repeated the chairman, "I will invoke the power of the meeting to put bim out I" "I invite you to do it!" retorted the interrupter. The chairman went on for a few min-

utes to "chart the political position," and to urge that as the natural corollary to the arrangement between the leaders, the political equilibrium should be preserved. "Against Labour!" shouted Mr. Dowdall. An honourable arrangement had been made in tho matter of filling vacancies, and in Wellington North it had bccomo tlie duty of the erstwhile leader to nominate or select a candidate to fill the vacancy. "In spite of the electors!" said Mr. Dowdall. "You ought to be a clown fooling in the sawdust of a circus!" said the exasperated chairman, and as .in uproar was pending. Mr. Hutcheson walked through the hall up to Mr. Dowdall, who, as ho was hustled ou't, cried out, "Oh! Stop! Stop!" But there was no stop until he was hustled right out of the building. ' Thc-ro Mr. Dowdall addressed the crowd, who had been unable to get inside the Kiosk. Quiet reigned within for the rest of the meeting.