ROWDY ASHBURTON.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 104, 23 October 1911, Page 5

ROWDY ASHBURTON.

HOOLIGANS AND NO-LICENSE. ■SPEAKER'S CHASED AND ASSAULTED. By Telegraph—Press Association. Ashburton, Last Night. On the four past Saturday nights nolicense advocates have addressed openair meetings from the Railway Reserve, abutting on the main .street, and right in the centre of the town. They have throughout been received in anything but a cordial manner, and have twice been subjected to very objectionable remarks. A week ago the speakers were practically howled down,' but this -was mild to what happened last night, when between four and five hundred people assembled, many for the purpose of seeing the fun. The first speaker had a moderate hearing, though the younger section of the crowd to some extent succeeded in drowning his voice by singing ''We'll roll the old dhariot away." When he concluded, he, seemingly .stepped back too far and fell from the waggon which was used as a platform. He then attempted to retire from the meeting, but was prevented. A clergyman was now speaking, but he had not gone far when a sympathiser, who was with him in the waggon holding a torch, was pulled from behind and sustained a nasty fall He turned and closed with his assailant, and the crowd excitedly surged after them. The assailant escaped and the pursuer also reached a place of greater safety, but the crowd, who were mostly antagonistic, were now excited, and catching .sight of the first speaker a few yards up the street made for him and threw him over the courthouse fence. He escaped, and the crowd began to quieten at the presence of several policemen, two of whom had earlier had to eject and arrest a drunken man who was making obnoxious remarks near the waggon, largely assisting to this end. The. meeting bad in the meantimt closed in good humored disorder. Even the assaults and chases were good humored so far as could lie seen. The no-lieiii.se leaders accept the. incident in the be.-t spirit, and have not yet decided whether to prosecute. The names of some of the assailants are known to the speakt rs. The ljev. T. R. B. Woollov-ill says be had been threatened with violence by several people, whose name- will be given to the police, but this and last, night's scene will not deter the no-license party from continuing the meetings. He also expressed the opinion that the opponents of no-license had '■primed" a number of men. who made themselves obnoxious, | and that they were organising, Tlionsrh the meetings do not commence till 8.45 p.m., so as not to interfere with the general business, the fruiterers, confectioners, refreshment-room keepers, hair-' dressers and tobacconists, who remain open and do anod business till 10 and after, complain that their takings are much affected, rfs the shops are Immediately deserted in favor of the '"fun." The Ashburton Guardian, in deploring the outbreaks, calls for greater orderliness and a larger measure of British fairplay.