MR MASSEY IN CHRISTCHURCH

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 16, 13 July 1911, Page 7

MR MASSEY IN CHRISTCHURCH

THE CHORAL HALL FIASCO. 1 By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Wednesday. The fiasco of last night's political meeting Ls the chief topic of conversation in the city to-day. It is estimated that about 1500 people were in the hall, which holds a thousand with difficulty, and probably four or five times as many outside. Any possibility of accommodating the crowd in the Choral Hall vanished as soon as Mr. Taylor issued his challenge to -JVfr. Massey. It was very evident that the crowd in general was anxious to hear Mr. Massey on the Taylor incident, but the dangerous crush put a speech out of the questios. There was no opportunity o,f estimating the feeling of the crowd politically. Th« reception gives Mr. Taylor might haTe been taken as an indication of sympathy. One morning paper says that when Mr. Massey returned to the stage lie was cheered, and that when he thanked the crowd for the compliment paid him, the remark was greeted with long-con-tinued applause. The other paper says that Mr. Massey got a mixed reception, and that his thanks to the erowd were greeted with a great shout of unbelieving laughter. An unpleasant incident occurred when the chairman of the Reform Association, Dr. Levinge, rather bitterly charged the Mayor with having brought the crowd there. Mr. Taylor retorted, 'Ton silly little man, if you were not an old man I would not keep my hands off you. I have kept my hands off this meeting, and I can control it now." Subsequently, while still feeling sors against the accusation, Mr. Taylor declared that Dt. Levinge's suggestion was utterly false. The crowd accepted the decision to close the meeting as inevitable, i» view of the dangerous crush in the hall. All sections agreed, and the course was followed - ' I^ISS