LAND JUMPERS,

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1809, 16 July 1906, Page 2

LAND JUMPERS,

UNEMPLOYED EAGER TO TILL

THE SOIL,

By telegraph. Press Aos'n, Copyright Received 4.30 p.m. i July 15.

Loudon, July 14. The unemployed seized a pioeo of land at Plaistow and propose to outsivaSe it. The land belongs to the West Ham Council

A oablegcam on the llih stated \ 1 Jack 1 Williams, ’leader of the 13 unemployed who have seized unutilised oburoh lands at Lovenshulme, a suburb of Manchester, has telegraphed to the President of the Local Government Board (Mr John Burns), “ We have taken your advice of 20 years ago, and ask for ycur congratulaTwenty yoars ago Mr John Burns wos a violent socialist. In 1885 be stood as a sooiolist for the Western Division of Nottingham, but obtained only 598 votes. Mr Williams refers to the agitation of the unemployed in 1837 led by Mr Burns, j Burns stood holding a red flag on the balustrade of Trafalgar Square, addressing many thousands of unemployed. He told them then that the land belonged to the people, that they had been robbed of it by force, and that foroe was tho only thing that wouia bring about its restitution. He denied it afterwards, but the crowd understood John Burns to say, " Go to the west and get bread.” They went, and looted shops in South Audley street, St. James street, and other fashionable thoroughfares. Burns was at their bond, and Jack Williams was also present. He, top, had been addressing an overflow meeting in Trafalgar Square. The first stone thrown was at the Carlton Club windows, and among the members on the balcony, of the portico at the time was the late Lord Randolph Churchill, whose son i« now a oolleague of Mr Burnß in tho present Cabinet. At the Reform Club, next door, the crowd aaßemblod and ohoered, bat they did not leave the Carlton until every window was smashed. Williams and I Burns were present all the time, but the latter did his utmost in exhorting the mob to refrain from violence. His pleadings were unavailing. The police were quite I unprepared for the riots, and the chief of the police, Sir E. Y. Henderson, resigned on acoount of it.