AUCKLAND'S QUIET WEEK-END

Hokitika Guardian, 18 April 1932, Page 2

AUCKLAND'S QUIET WEEK-END

POLICE QUIETLY DISPERSE CROWDS

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association)

AUCKLAND, April 17. While no incident: comparable to the disturbances in the city and at Newton on Thursday and Friday nights took place last night, there was a congregation of a large number of people at the top of Symonds Street. 'lbs provided the opportunity for outbreak ; but by their careful handling of the crowd, the police were able to disperse them.

At about half past ten, when the crowd was thinning out, a window in a shop was broken by a stone thrower. The offender was quickly apprehended. Nothing further came of the Incident. During Saturday evening groups of men. with a fair sprinkling of women, gathered on the footpaths near .the top of .'Symonds Street, most of them being obviously sightseers. For no apparent reason the crowd slowly increased until, by nine o’clock there were /probably two thousand people in the- vicinity. Small parties of uniformed; police mingled with the crowd, but the special police were not in evidence. For the most part the crowd was in a good-natured mood, and they appeared to be waiting for something to happen.

As an appeal to the crowd to disperse had no effect, a detachment of mounted constabulary was called up. Although they, merely rode up one .side of Symonds Street and down the other side, their presence had a sobering effect:.

By 10.30 p.m. the area resumed ib; normal appearance. As soon as the theatre crowds had passed through the locality, the extra police were withdrawn. The authorities have been thorough-

lv organised to meet any emergency in all parts of the cikv and suburbs. Last night strong patrols operated, Hint there were no incidents in Queen Street or in the suburbs.

AT AUCKLAND DOMAIN

LABOUR Alb .P. CONTROL PEOPLE

AUCKLAND, April 17. , This. afternoon a crowd estimated at about one thousand gathered at the entrance* to the Domain. The .entrances, however, were guarded by the police, as a proposed meeting of the unemployed had been baimed by the authorities. After about half an hour, Mr J. A.

' Lee, AI-P., and Mr A. S. Richards, ■j. M.P., walked through the crowd, and « proceeded in the direction of l:he outr or Domain. They were followed by the crowd, and on their arrival in the outer Domain, they were greeted by cheers by a few hundred. There the Members of Parliament persuaded the crowd to sit down, and sing songsOn the approach of a posse of twenty police, there was a hostile demonstration. Mr Lee then appealed to the crowd to be orderly, and to go home. Mrs Lee accompanied her hush" - The crowd gradually dispersed without anv incident.

INCENDIARY FIRES

2,000 “-SPECIALS” ORGANISED

SHOPS WELL BARRICADED

AUCKLAND, April 17

Men were working overtime to-day in boarding i o the windows of shops in Queen Street and the neighbourhood. The- owners apparently deciding to take no risk over the week-end. (Significant cf the present state of affairs is the re-appearance, after nearly a quarter of a century, of shutters in on:; Shortland Street premises. In Queen Street, many of the shop fronts are being boarded up in a very effective manner. Carpenters are having n busy time, and staffs i» some of the big shops have also been helping in 'this precautionary work. There are similar activities in all the suburbs, where shop windows have been cleared of goods. This was done long ago in the city, and -timber and roofing iron used -to bnrriei.de shops. A. combined protective force of I,l '' on 2.000 men has been organised for the week-end: It includes police and mounted police, special constables, cavalry and nival detachments. A conference lasting nearly two hours was -held at yhe tb's -morning,- •attended by the Mayor, Mr. ■J. W. Hutchison; representatives i the police ; volunteer forces; navy ; ( Transport Board and Harbour Board, ( v, !-e-i genera! organisation for ilie pro-. tection of the city and suburbs was j discussed. 1 " “1 have nothing to say excepk that arrangements were made tor future ac- j lion in the event of trouble.’ sa-'d tie 1 , Mayor at the conclusion of the conference The force of special police to-night approaches two thousand. ‘ The manner ir which citizens have | come forward for enrolment as specal police and )the assistance offered in, many wavs by the various organiselions is more than gratifying,” said the 1 Maver. die added that there was <“>

DAMAGE IS GROSSLY EXAGGERATED

POSITION THROUGHOUT THE DOMINION

doubt many men in die streets last, night were prepared for trouble as the authorities knew they went to Karnngaliape Road with rocks in their pockets.

LOSSES GREATLY EXAGGERATED

TOTAL DAMAGE ABOUT £10,500

AUCKLAND, April 17,

The losses due to the Queen Street riot were very grossly exaggerated in the first reports sent out. The total damage caused by rioting and looting in Queen St., Auckland, on FHday, will not exceed £10,600. Lloyd’s representative (stated; “I have had 1 our Auckland bratich fflam 1 a get and a qualified loss assessor working on this business all day. I have Just received a telegram from our j Auckland manager in which lie says: •Plate-glass windows 287, value £5500. Stock of goodls, damaged or lost will not exceed £5000.’ ” I “This makes the total damage about £10,500. This figure is not an estimate ; it has been arrived at by two qualified men, who have made a thorough investigation on the spot.”

SENTENCE IMPOSED ON RIOTERS

SEVERAL GET THREE MONTHS

AUCKLAND, April 16

Fifty-eight of the shop windows sma,shed in Karangahape- Road or vicinity represented the mob’s achievement laist night. Over twenty an acts were made.

The men arrested appeared at the Police Court this morning, when the... Magistrate, Mr Hunt, remarked that the section of the Act, under which most of the offenders were charged should be amended in such times. The present maximum sentence of three months’ was too little. He added that yesterday, lie had treated offendoils leniently, but the public, after reading the Mayor’is appeal to them not to stay unnecessarily in the streets, had disregarded it. Now the offenders would know what was coming to them. Several of those charged to-day received' the maximum term of three months’.

In addition to rioters, John Harp, aged 36, and Frank -Edwin Lark, described as prominent leaders of the unemployed, were charged with inciting lawlessness, They were remanded ou bail of £SOO.

CHURCH AND TIMBER YARDS

AUCKLAND, April 17

v A fire, which the police believe was deliberately .started, occurred in the ,t yards of the Kauri Timber Coy., atj Freeman’s Bay, just after 8 o’clock | last night. Fortunately, there was no f wind, and the flamed were suppressed I before- any great damage was done. I The yards were filled with thousands j J of pounds worth of timber and other timber yards adjoin them. The Rev. Jasper Calder declared t tliaft the fire in the church was a clear ' ca-se of incemdarism, and the police have been notified of the suspicious action of two people. The church’s loss was very -serious, including choir robes, surplice, cassocks, and altar hangings. y WORK FOR 700 MORE THIS WEEK s AUCKLAND, April 16. j- The Mayor announced to-day that ho had made arrangements with the Labf our Department for the City Council’s r istand-down week, in which only 200 f relief men are employed l , and which . normally would be next week, to be j postponed, and the Conucil will proj vide work for 900 men instead of 200. J For this one week only, the men will . | be paid each night, a,s they leave » work, The effect of this will be that , I all the men who have lest time, for I any cause whatever in the week end- ] ing today, may / make up their lost .. time, if they report on their jobs on , Monday. t STATEMENT BY PREMIER. LEGISLATION TO MEET I SITUATION. ’ j WELLINGTON, April 1.6. , Mr Forbes stated to-day that Llm . Government wa« considering special . legislation to deal with the position i that had arisen in New Zealand aiS the result of the liot:-. It was not | 'anticipated there would he further '/trouble dining the week-end. j In the meantime, he said, the I.ah- | I our meetings which had been ar- | ranged, were net being cancelled by j I the Government. The Government- was leaving this matter to the discretion | of loepl bodice. I he Police lorer- i had been strengthened to deal with the 'situation. j j Air Forties said that if any offences I J arose ns a result- of efforts to main- | tain law and order, those responsible ! won hi have L> be condoned by the Government. 1 Mr Forbe.s said that Mr D. G Sullivan (Labour Mayor of Christchurch)

had assured him that all the necessary steps had been taken to maintain law and order in that city. Mr Sullivan had assured him that any possibility of any outbreak during the week-end there was remote. LORD BLEDI SLOE’S COMMENTS. AUCKLAND, April 16. The Governor-General has sent a mcldsage to the Mayor of Auckland as follows:—“You and your city have my deepest sympathy in your present distresses. I earnestly trust that reasonable counsels will now prevail, and that the city’s) traditional high reputation for the observance of law and order will be speedily re-estab-lished ”

POLICE COMMISSIONER

AUCKLAND, April 16,

The Commissioner of Police arrived from Wellington by aeroplane .shortly before five o’clock this afternoon.

WELLINGTON UNEMPLOYED

WELLINGTON, April 17

About three hundred persons attended the Basin Reserve this afternoon, in response to an announcement by the Unemployed Workers’ Movement that a mass meeting would be held.

Speeches were made criticising the Government’s policy, and were delivered by several of the Movement’s leadefs.

Ihe crowd then dispersed quietly

Large numbers of citizens are offering their /services ais special constables. Arrangements are being made Rutile enrolment of as many as the authorities may deem advisable.

UNITED MINE WORKERS. HOLD GOVT. RESPONSIBLE. At the meeting of the National Council of the United Mine Workers of New Zealand, held on April 16th, 14th and loth, the following resolution was carr.ed: —

“That this meeting of the National Council of the United Mine Woikers of New Zealand expresses its emphatic opinion that the Government is solelj responsible for the outbreaks that have taken place in Dunedin and Auckland by its scandalous treatment of the unemployed, its forcing of men into the slave camps, and its failure to provide work at a reasonable wage for the unemployed or to give adequate sustenance to those for whom work cannot be provided. We therefore call 11x1011 the Government to immediately resign and submit its policy to the judgment of the people.”

DEMONSTRATION AT MASTERTON

THE GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSIBILITY.

MASTERTON, April 17. The Labour Party held a demonstration in Masterton this afternoon.

A resolution was passed by the assemblage condemning tile Government’s polity and calling upon it either to amend its policy or to resign. There was an attendance of about five hundred people at the demonstration.

The speakers were Mr Jas. O’Brien, M.P., and Mr AY. E. Barnard, M.P. The made reference to the Auckland disturbances, and they deplored rioting, but they stated that the Government could not escape its responsibility.

The meeting was a most orderly one throughout.

DISAPPROVAL OF TIMARU R.S.A

AGAINST RECENT DISORDERS

TIMARU, April 17,

At a largely attended meeting of the South Canterbury Returned Soldiers’ Association last night, the following resolution was carried unanimously :“That the unemployed members of this Association disapprove of any form of demonstration which is liable to lend to disorder, and resolves to take no part in any such demonstration.”

Two deputations of the Timaru Unemployed Union, one representing single and the other married men, urged the local Unemployment Committee to seek increased allocation for Timaru. The committee decided to comply with the request. SEAMEN'S UNION DEMAND.

WELLINGTON, April 17. 'Hie following resolution was carried at a meeting of the Executive Coune'l of Federated Seamen in conference at Wellington; ‘‘That this meeting of the Executive Couiu.il of the Federated Seamen’s Union of New Zealand is emphatically of the opinion that the Government by its broken pledges, in regard to sustenance payment in the Unemployment Act, its ordeavoinv to force men into slave caimis. and its

CHRISTCHURCH, April 17

failure to provide work, at a reasonable wage, is directly responsible for the riotous outbreaks at Dunedin and Auckland. Wo therefore call upon the Government to resign and give the people of New Zealand an opportunity of passing judgment.”

CHRISTCHURCH “NEW GUARD.”

COMMENT BY REV. J. K. ARCHER

No official information regarding the formation of a “New Guard” of .special constables lias been received in Christchurch, according to the DeputyMayor (the Rev. J. K. Archer), wiio commented to-day on the statement by the Rt. Hon. -J. G. Coates that the reinforcement of the police by groups of private citizens in cities other than Auckland was well under way. Mr Archer said that lie could not imagine that the bona fide unemployed of Christchurch would take any illegal stops. It seemed to him that any talk about a “New Guard” as far as Christchurch was concerned was quite premature and more provocative than anything.

“We are a peace-loving people,” lie said, “and though, of course, we know there are great difficulties arising out of unemployment, the Christchurch C ty Council and the eit/iens generally have demonstrated their great .sympathy with the sufferers and are still prepared to everything ponsibie to assist theft].’*

As a precautionary measure special constable-* are being enrolled in all the main centres of New Zealand. This morning a number of young men applied at the Christchurch Central Police Station and after an interview -nth the Acting-Stiperititendient weire enrolled for duty. No special significance was attached to the move, Inspector Cameron pointed out. There was no fear as yet that there would be an outbreak of trouble in Christchurch, but the men were be ng enrolled as the result of a general order.

The men required are to be between the ages of twenty-five and fifty and tiipy will undertake no duty until called on.