"WILD WOLVES."

Grey River Argus, 25 April 1911, Page 1

"WILD WOLVES."

«+. -UPROAR AT PORT- MELBOURNE.

At Port .Melbourne on Saturday night, April 8, some rowdy supporters of \the .Labour Party did ; their best to hp>yl d^yn^.the, State .Treasurer (Mr Watt), apd- Mr.. Paris, Nesbit, K.P., of. , South Australia. Mr Watt shouted over their, heads, and. took no notice , of,,. the. senseless uproar. . Mr Nesbit endeavoured to silence ■ the disturbers by badinage, by sarcastic retorts, and iby allusions to the constitutional erudition, and the gentlemanly behaviour of. the audience. Mr.^F: Mi B." Fisher, (a member of the New Zealand Parliament) was refused a hearing and told to go home. He struggled for a few' minutes. t • ' : V - ■'■ ' 1 "You have no right to speak here," called 'out some of" the crowd^ Mr Fisher retorted that he had as } much right to tallsf in Australia as a : Labour : man had to talk politics in England. ■ When- Mr Fdsher had, perforce, retired, Mr Watt asked those who believed in voting "Yes" to hold up their hands. About half the meeting did so,. iamid loud f cheering. He next asked those who believed in hearing arguments to hold up their .hands. A majority ,of the meeting did so. That showed, said^.Mr Watt, that the bulk, of the meeting, though it might be 1 opposed to the. speaker's views, was prepared to hear them. When he introduced Mr Nesbit, there was a tumult of cheers and groans. "Now then, boys," shouted Mr Nesbit — a howl of derision greeted this remark. "What are you getting- for this?" Mr Nesbit was' asked. "Only the glory of speaking to such an audience." The irony infuriated the disturbers. ' ~ A man called out, "You're a renegade." • ."Am I really?" replied Mr Nesbit. "Thank you very much. It is extremely kind of you to say so.' In spite of the uproar, Mr Nesbit went on to explain thaithe had stood by the Labour Party till ■it took up Socialism, and then he left it. This explanation was met -with cries of "Shuffler,' accompanied 'by loud hooting and scuffling which lasted for several minutes. "Let me tell you what you fellows are," continued Mr Nesbit, as soon as he got a chance. "A man may work or fight for you, 'as I have done, and sacrifice his professional prospects, as everyone knows in Adelaide, but the worst of you fellows — . >}. "Don't call us fellows," yelled the 1 men who, were making the noise. We're men." "My dear fellows," went on Mr Nes bit, amid "more violent uproar, "God 'bless you all. (Laughter, cheers, and hoots.) The worst of -you dear fellows — (howls)— is that a, man may do all he can for you, and when his conscience compels him to see differently from you, you have no word bad enough for him. In such a case the disgrace is not his, but yours. (Uproar.) Why, you cannot "bear a word from the other side without howling like wild wolves." The uproar continued. ■ "Would you, shouted Mr Nesbit, be .bigger fools than you look or look bigger fools /than you are?" There seemed to be no response to this conundrum, ,and soon after Mr Nesbit took his seat. — Sydney "Daily Telegraph.'.

Fearing blood-poisoning from an injury to his leg, received while "cranking" an automobile in California, Mr Charles' Gates, the wellknown financier, came to New York by special train in iecard time. He left Yuma in Arizona, on a Thursday afternoon, and reached New York on Sunday night following, 3000 miles in 74 hours 19 minutes gross i time, including- stoppages. The total cost of the trip was The doctors pronounce Mr Gates to be in no danger. The barque Wendur, which reached. London recently from Tacoma, brought the latest news from Pitcairn Island. A -.boat rith 18 of the natives put off, and covered nearly 20 miles /to intercept Hi e' Wendur and learn the latest pecurnjaees in the outside world. The Islanders" informed the Master of the v rssel tbat the population numbered 150, females being in\ the majority. All enjoyed remarkably good health, and appeared contented with their lot. The. oldest inhabitant, Mr Christian, who is 91 years of age, is a grandson of ' Fletcher C.hristian, who,, was leader of the mutineers' of "the Bounty. ••.:.:•■,