MR JUDKINS AT NEWMARKET
POLICE ESCORT PROVIDED
Hundreds of people failed to secure admittance to the Town Hall at
Newmarket last night
to hear Mr WH Judkins address on gambling, and a large number of them
remained outside the
building during the progress of the meeting making their presence known
by continual
disorderly shout’s. Mr Mauger MHR presided over the gathering.
The Rev F Lade moved -
This meeting protests against the impudent demands of the liquor trade
for perpetual
compensation as being opposed to the interests of the people, and as
perpetuating an
unjust practice . It congratulates the Government on introducing a
licensing bill, and
trusts that it will be carried with the temperance partys amendments.
If not, it gives the
trade warning that the offer of three years, made “without predjudice’
will be
withdrawn, and the new condition will be not a penny of money or
a moment of time.
It also urges the Government to make the proposed gaming bill so strict
as to effectually
stop betting and gambling and be perfect enough to bring law breakers
to book.
Mr Judkins, in rising to second the resolution was greeted with
considerable cheering
and a counter demonstration at the rear of the hall. It would
never do he said, to
leave Newmarket without and anti - gambling meeting. (Cries of
dissent) They
had Flemington.
A Voice - The racecourse is drowned (laughter)
Mr Judkins hoped it would stop under water always. (Laughter, cheers
and dissent) There
out to be a petition to the Government to keep it under water.
(Continued Uproar). The
speaker, in proceeding, incidentally referred to the boxing contest
which was taking place
that evening, and said it might be a place for muscles and heavy
jaws, but he
doubted whether it was a place for brains (Further uproar).
Reverting to the Flemington Racecourse he thought that a municipality should be allowed to decide whether it wanted a racecourse in its midst. He proceeded to attack the gambling element. With great difficulty the adverse fraction at the back of the hall kept up noisy interruption.
Anticipating trouble a police escort had been furnished for Mr
Judkins, and as he left
the hall its members marched by his side to the railway station. A
large crowd followed
but Mr Judkins was allowed to catch his train unmolested.
From: THE ARGUS Tuesday 11th September 1906
