NEW ZEALAND'S DREADNOUGHT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 67, 15 April 1909, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND'S DREADNOUGHT

TOMMY TAYLOK'S FOLLOWING. "L'PKOAII IN CIIKISTCHCItOH. A DISGRACEFUL EXHIBITION OF HOOLIGANISM. By Telegraph.—l'ress Association. Christeliurch, Liisi -Mgiit A meeting was held in the King Kd«iud Uarracks to-night, under the auspices of the Navy U'ligue, to consider ja, motion endorsing the action of liie Cabinet re the Dreadnought, and approving of the offer made to the ilrilisn Government. There were ijuite -JdUU people present, and from the start the meeting was most disorderly, and brokv up in confusion. None of the speakers were given a hearing, and even Jiishop Julius and Bishop Grime*, on rising to speak, were received with groans mid cheers mixed, which continued and prevented them from being heard. Nobody in the crowd had the least idea what was going on. due to (lie awful uproar made by a noisy section standing just in front of the platform, and the call for a show of hands in favour of the resolution had to be done bv means of notifications on a blackboard. The motion was declared carried amid a scene of indescribable confusion, and tiien followed a perfect pandemonium. Mr. T. K. Taylor, M.P., in whom the disturbing factor recognised their leader, endeavoured to speak, hut could not be heard owing to the din, and his violent gesticulations were not understood. A Union Jack at one corner of the platform was pulled down by some fanatic, and before it could be rescued was torn to shreds and trampled under foot. Eventually, after a great struggle, in wiiich hundreds of men joined, the remains of the flag were rescued, towed on tn the platform, and hoisted aloft by the Hon. LieutColonel Smith, amid frenzied cheers. Another great light took place over possession of the blackboard used for putting the motion. It was first of all snatched away from the talile on the platform liy Mr. 'P. K Taylor's adherents, and an attempt was made to carry it to where Mr. Taylor was standing, presumably with the object of putting a hostile amendment in the same way, but a patriotic crowd got to work and the blackboard was towed about like a raft on a sea of heads, until it> was carried to one end of the barracks. Kven when it was announced that the proceedings had closed, thousands remained cheering and hooting, and it was not until the lights were extinguished that the barracks could be cleared. A noisy open-air meeting was held in Cathedral Square afterwards. The Bishops and other prominent citizens nt the meeting spoke in terms of the greatest disgust at the eonduet of a certain section of the crowd at the nicetina.

LABOR'S OPINION' DIVIDED. Auckland, Last Night. Hotly-worded protista were received at n mcelinpf of the Auckland Trades and Labor Council to-night from tho Bricklayers' I'nion ami Carpenters' Union against the resolution carried at last meeting of tlie Council condemning the Oovernment's Dreadnought gift. Several delegates rose and said their societies had instructed them to express their disapproval of the motion' and it was mentioned that so strong was the feeling that had been caused that it was probable that, as a protest, one society at least would withdraw from the Council.

THE OPPOSITION' OP THE DISAPPOINT tiD.

Invcrcargill. I.i-i Night. At a meeting at Waikivvi, convened by W. A. .Morris, who opposed Sir Joseph Ward for the Awarua electorate, it was resolved that in the opinion of this meeting of Awarua electors tlie action of the Ward Ooverninont in making an unconditional and absolute otlVr of a battleship to the British Government without the authority of Parliament merits severe censure ajid the forfeiture of the people's confidence in the Ward Government. The speakers affirmed the need of maintaining naval supremacy,, but condemned the unconstitutional method of making the oiler.

THE MORAL OF THE OFFER. Tlie Primp Minister, speaking at the Chamber of Commerce dinner on Tuesday -.light, expressed great pleasure at the manner in which the conference had shown its.approval of what the (iovernm«nt hail done to assist in making the British Navy stronger than it was. He wished to remark that it was not the value of tlie battleship, or, indeed, of a dozen of them, that was going to have any effect; but it was the moral which others would draw from the offer. (Applause). If the idea were to get about for a moment that we were so stupid a community as to nrovldo a battleship on the mere score'of cost, it would bv the very strongest. rondcmnntUr.i of our action in every other part of the British Empire. If they had suggested the gift from the mere standpoint of pounds, shillings ami they should as a community expect a Hat 'refusal, but We were not so foolish as to believe that! the Old Land could jiot do all that was required, but we had to recognise that every part and parcel of the Empire was a vital point, and should give assistance, The aim was to show in the most determined maimer that wv were an integral portion of the British Empire. (Applause) .