THE MEETING IN THE DRILL-SHED.

Evening Star, Issue 4219, 4 September 1876, Page 3

THE MEETING IN THE DRILL-SHED.

To the Editor. Sir, —lam not a little surprised at the discrepancies of the Dunedin Press on matters pertaining to the number of people attending public meetings. In fact, so much and so frequently does this appear that I would suggest a system of special training of the faculty of judging numbers for the Press reporters, in a similar manner to that bywlrchthe faculty of judging distance is trained in the army. For example :it is variously stated that there were 500, 1,200, and 1,500 present at the meeting in the Drill-shed. Now, from many years’ habit of judging the numbers in crowds and meetings, and from many opportunities of testing the correctness of my calculations by the check of tickets, &c,, I confidently assert that there were more than a thousand people present at the political meeting. I had a fair opportunity of seeing the extent of the crowd, and computed there were more people present than could be seated in the hall; and I have often been at meetings seated at the rate of 4ft per man. Of course, this is too close for comfort. Then I have measured ten average men standing in 10 sup. ft., or 4ft. square. But Spon gives in his tables, the weight of a crowd of men standing at the rate of 84Ibs per square foot, '•ow, at list, per man this would give about 18ft, for ten men. No person can doubt that the crowd was closely packed, and with men much above the average of the populace of Dunedin, notwithstanding the wretched twaddle of “Veritas.”

Hoping the reporters will take the hint, and practice the art of judging numbers cor rectly, I am, &c., Libra. Dunedin, August 4. [lt would he better if our correspondent, instead of trying to teach the reporters their duty, would endeavor himself to stick to facts. Throughout his letter it is plain that his sympathies are with those who are interested in making the drill-shed meeting larger than it really was. We assert, once and for all, that there were only between 500 and 600 present.-— Ed, ‘E. S,’]