"WILD WOLVES."

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XXII, Issue 2781, 24 April 1911, Page 3

"WILD WOLVES."

UPROAR AT PORT MEL-

BOURNE

At Port Melbourne on Saturday night, April 8, some rowdy supporters of the Labour party did their best to howl down the State Treasurer (Mr Walt) and Mr Paris Nesbit, K. C, of South Australia, Mr Watt shouted over their heads, and took no notice ot the senseless uproar. Mr Nesbit endeavoured to silence the disturbers by badinage, by sarcastic retorts and by allusions to the constitutional erudition, and the gentlemanly behaviour of the audience.

Mr F. M. B. Fisher (a member of the New Zealand Parliament) was refused a hearing and told to go home. He struggled for a few minutes.

" You have no right to speak here," called out some of the crowd.

Mr Fisher retorted that he had as much right to speak in Australia as a Labour man had to talk politics in England.

When Mr Fisher had, perforce, retired, Mr Watt asked those who believed in voting "yes" to hold up their hands. About halt the meeting did so, amid loud cheeiing. 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 opposed to the speakers' 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 the remark. - " What are you getting for this ?" Mr Nesbit was asked. v " Only the glory of speaking to such an audience," he answered. " This

polite, manly, intelligent 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's extremely kind of you to say so."

In spite of the uproar, Mr Nesbit went on to explain that he 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 those who were making the noise. " We're men." " My dear fellows," went on Mr Nesbit, 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, " rather be bigger fools than you look, or look bigger fools than you are ?"

There seemed to be no responce to this conundrum, and soon after Mr Nesbit took his seat. —Sydney " Daily Telegraph."