THE UNEMPLOYED

Hokitika Guardian, 9 December 1930, Page 5

THE UNEMPLOYED

i DISORDER IN CATHEDRAL SQUARE. CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 8. ■ A disorderly scene developed in the Square oil Saturday morning when the police ordered a meeting of the unemployed to he broken-up. There was a struggle between two or three constables and a leader of the unemployed who persisted in attempting to address a gathering of three or four hundred. “Go for them!” shouted one of the crowd, and over half a. dozen constables had to use force to keep the men back. The unemployed, denied the opportunity of .finishing their meeting in Cathedral Square, marched to Victoria* Square, where nearly twenty constables and detectives ranged themselves in the crowd of over two hundred. In the scuffle in Cathedral Square the large banner,bearing the words:. “Fools Starve, Men Fight, Work or Wages,” appeared to be in danger of being torn beyond repair. It was carried to Victoria Square in a fair state of preservation and again formed the background for a variety of speakers. CROWD IN EXCITED MOOD. The first sighs of a scuffle came when a sergeant of police interrupted one of the speaker's. The sergeant, after requesting him not to allow any more speakers there, grabbed, him by the clothes and told him to “get out of it.” That was after the man had, apparently refused to obey the sergeant. Others' joined in the . altercation and there were a few tense moments, during which a voice was-heard from the rear: “Go for them!” There seemed every probability that a section of the crowd would roughly handle the knot of constables as they were thrust to and fro by the. pressure of the excited throng.. One of the constables pushed his way out of the knot of bine-coated men and thrust several of the crowd back, The rest of the police were heckled by the leaders of the unemployed and others who pressed round them. POLICE “COUNTED OUT.” “Come on to the reserve here and finish our meeting!” shouted one of the leaders', . and the centre of,- activities was moved from near the tramway inspectors’ office to the roadway more or less'behind the tramway shelter, There a new speaker addressed the crowd, but was promptly captured by Iris wife. It was finally announced that the meeting would be concluded in Victoria Square, whence about thirty‘of the men marched headed by the banner. The gathering in Victoria Square was orderly enough. At one stage, many in the crowd joined in “counting out” the police who lmd prevented them from holding their assembly in Cathedral Square. One of the speakers urged the establishment of a work-: evs’ defence corps, to ensure the orderlv conduct of meetings in any part of the city. , POLICE SCOUR- STREETS. The first gathering of unemployed was held outside the Government Labour Bureau in Hereford Street. The police requested the leaders not,.to hold meetings anywhere but in Victoria Square. The gathering broke up, only to reform in Cathedral Square. In the meantime two constables on a motor-cycle, followed by six policemen on foot went along Hereford Street, past the City Council Chambers,; south along Armagh Street, and thence into the Square, where they eventually located the gathering. This tour by the police brought at least a score more of curious persons to the meet-

ing. A.dozen officers of the- law, as well as detectives, were at the meeting in the Square. One of the speakers, Mr A. F. Marshall, complained that the unemployed levy was merely a means of subsidising industry to provide work for men who were starving'. He declared that the sustenance allowance provided for by the Ac-t was not sufficient, and that, in cases where work could not be found, full wages should be paid. The speaker was listened to fairly attentively, and after he had stepped from the box a man known a s Mr Porter stepped up. He had just finished a short address when the police requested that there be no more speakers. Only about thirty men joined the ranks for the march to Victoria Square from Cathedral Square. These men called upon the rest, but without avniil. The majority of tlie crowd, together with the police, remained in tlie Square chatting in groups until finally the crowd dwindled.