PARLIAMENT PICKETED

Hokitika Guardian, 14 August 1930, Page 3

PARLIAMENT PICKETED

BY UNEMPOYED. IRR ECONOIL ABLE ATTITUDE. ißy Telegraph—Per Press Association WELLINGTON, August 13. Parliament House was placed in a state of seriii-seige to-day by a party of unemployed, wlio sought an interview with the Prime Minister. Tlie deputation arrived at the building at about 11 a.m., and thronged the Bowen Street entrance vestibule, while their request for an audience was conveyed to> MY Forbes. It happened that the Prime Minister was engaged all the morning with a sitting of the Public Accounts Committee of the House, but Mr R. Semple, Labour Member for Wellington East, made an appointment for tlie deputation to return at lunch time on Friday. This was communicated to the waiting men, together with an expression of regret from the Prime Minister. He would hot bh able to see them until Friday.

The deputation immediately resolved itself into .a- meeting. Ghe of their number,! addressing the gathering as; "comrades,” \ moved that they refute the right of M : r Semple to make any arrangements for them to meet the Prime Minister, and this was seconded and was declared carried unanimously. The seconder reminded the "comrades” .that they had previously decided not to leave the building until they had seen Mr Forbes. "It is up to every man to show his pluck and manliness, and to stand here until we do see him,” he declared.

„The meeting silently acquiesced, and, watched over by a small party of police, they settled' down to wait, being addressed meanwhle, who apvals, by one or two speakers, wno appeared to be the leaders of the. deputation.

-About 1 o’clock, tlie meeting of the unemployed passed a motion in favour of picketing the ’ building in the hope that they would be able to intercept the, Prime Minister who it was stated Was attending a' meeting in the City. Pickets were appointed, but it Infer transpired that Mr Forbes had not left Parliament House.

j About 1.30 p.m. several members of the Labour Party approached the delegation and endeavoured to secure from them a statement that they were willing to participate in the unemployed deputation arranged to meet the Pi;ime Minister on Friday. This the unemployed declined to do, their objection being that Friday’s deputation lijjtd been arranged by organised Labour, which, it was held, had done nothing to assist those who were in need of.{ work.

The Member for Manakau (Mr Jordan) pointed out to the delegation that every day since the session had opened members of the Labour' Party lihd impressed on the Members of Parliament the'need for action in regard to the unemployment problem. As Air Jordan proceeded to inform the delegation that the deputation had been arranged for Friday, several members of the deputation took him and the Labour Party to task for not having accomplished anything in the interests of the unemployed. They alleged that men, women: and children were starving, and that the delegation had no hope of obtaining any redress as'the result, of the deputation on Friday. Mr Semple endeavoured to explain that the Prime Minister was fully booked up until Friday morning, and was unable to- meet any deputation ; but this announcement Was received with considerable jeering from those present. It was alleged by several speakers that the Labour Party had done absolutely nothing to assist those who were out of work. One or two speakers said that they had approached the Charitable Air Board and had been declined assistance.

The Labour Member for Napier (Mr Barnard) asked the members of the delegation whether they would be prepared to participate in a deputation on Friday. The reply to this was that they were tired of taking part in Labour deputations. “Wo have no voice in such matters,” said one member. “Everything is left to the representative of the Labour Party.” Air Jordan endeavoured to point out that the only way to approach the Prime Minister was through organised Labour channels. The members of the deputation dissented, from! this;. They aslced Air Jordan if lie--would be prepared to share his-food with those who were starving. ATr Semple said that throughout his political career, he had spoken for the unemployed, but he did not represent the members of the present delegation, and if he ever did so, he would resign from public life. This announcement was greeted with jeers from members of the deputation. After some further discussion the members of the delegation agreed to state their case to Air F. Langstone, the Labour Member for Waimarino, and ATr J. T. Hogan, the Independent Member for Rangitikei. This discussion was proceeding at a late hour this afternoon. Following on the unemployed affair, the demonstrators, after listening to ATr Langstone, dispersed.