ROWDY MEETING AT CHRISTCHURCH.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3164, 15 April 1909, Page 5

ROWDY MEETING AT CHRISTCHURCH.

THE DREADNOUGHT OFFER. DISGRACEFUL SCENES. By telegraph— Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, April 14. k meeting was held in the King JSdward barracks to night, under the 'auspices of the Navy League, to consider a motion endorsing the action of Cabinet re the Dreadnougkt, and approving of the offer made to the British Government There were quite tout thousand! people present, and from sfoe start Ih* meeting was most disorderly, aE*d broke up in confupion. None of the speakers were given a hearing, and even Bishops Juliur and Grimes, on rising to speak, wee-e received wit& groans -stid cheers trixed, which continued and prevented them from besrrg heard Nobody in the.'

crowd h«d *t'he 'lesrst idea- w&at w.°,s going en, due 'to the a\iv&il uproar made by ano fey section standing , just in front'oif'the platform, and a| call for a ; showo , f bands'ln favour of the rdfcolutiion had "• to -be done h£meaiasS'df a iittificatita-iDn the blackboard. The motion ""was declared earned, amicl a Ecene of indesct&batfe 'UOrifUQion, arid ' feen followed a perfect pandemoniuteu BrT.iE. Taylor,-M. P., in#lioro fflae disturbing factor recognised as a. leader, -endeavoured to speak., but; coiildmtt be'hea^-d'owing to'-tte smflfiite gesticulations we) pe BOt'UßHeistood, \A. Union' Jack*at 01 ie <CGvn@r's± <-the t'bJatform was puiljeii «2own»by some-fanatic, and b&Lore it ©cUldfcfee'rescued was tofn to shrfids«nditMWpled'»ufjder foot. 'Eroatually k&,-.;great v straggle, Tin whi&ilmndreds of men ,i joined, book jdlace, stand thelflag was < rescued and tafe©e«on< to-thepplatform, trad hoisted saildft by thehHon. -Lieut.-Colonel SniifctyaciidiSTenzied cheers. I AwStner great fight took place over I tbhetpossession >of the. black board used | for [putting i&e motion ©n. It was i feat waf all ?-saatehed away from the | table«unithef platform'.'by Mr Taylor's 'adherents, -<a«uS an attempt was made toccaifEyiit vMr Taylor was isfcandfog, ipremmably .with the object o<f (putfing.aJaaafale amendment in the saoaevway, tbufca ..patriotic crowd got to <woaK, ,aad the .blackboard wap tov,i;edaai)Qutiiyie;a ratt on the sea of hearl»fe,awtiliit>«fa3rGß?ried to one end of th\e torac&s.

Ev eic aaihen ittwas announced that the pirassading-si&ad elpsed, thousands remain hooting, and it was Jtfit until ifche?;lights were extinguished #hat;fche barracks could be cleared. , A noisy in Catlaedral Sqmxe afterwards. I The \jßishops sod ofche* prominent i citizens at the meeting speak in Lterma of *he greatest disgust at the iconduct of a certain section of the at the meeting.