WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 May 1932, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

MISGUIDED LABOUR

MINISTER’S REPORT

(Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, May 16

The effective pleasures employed by the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, the Minister of Justice, in dealing with ).he crowd that; assembled in one of the by-ways of the Capital City last week with cho obvious purpose of repeating the earlier display of the kind in the neighbourhood of the Parliament Buildings, seems to have borne material fruff. Mr Cobbe is,, one of the most courteous of the members of the Coalition Government —none of whom, by the way, is lacking in this respect—-but when he was informed that a second lawless outbreak had been planned for another locality he -tookj drastic,,. measures to ensure that tile" interdstiUof the community and the credit of the city would be maintained. The result was the discomfiture of- the intending rioters by a comparatively small body of foot and mounted police and the saving of property which otherwise might have been damaged or destroyed.

IN EARNEST

The promoters of the further attack upon the good name .of -the Capita! City having failed in their purpose and made a somewhat ignonunous retreat, set about maligning the Government in general and Mr Cobbe in. particular. They would -have had the public believe they and their follower? had been grossly ill treated by the police. The Minister of Justice had a very different story to tell. “Hoots and cries from the .crowd,” he state'!., “greeted a police inspector as he went forward to compel a particularly no.sy speaker to desist. Then followed a volley of'bricks, -stones, lumps of .Concrete, ' bottles and pieces of iron hurled at the small force of twenty policej in tb e inspector’s immediate vicinity. A number of -the police were struck \by tbe missiles, but none of them was .so injured as to be compelled to retire before the assault, and in a,few ruinate' with the use. of their batons they •had their assailants on the run.

GOVERNMENT AND POLICE. In its leading, columns this morning the “Dominion.” which is not given to extravagant adulation, pays well d served compliments to the Minister <J Justice and the officers of his department. “More than ever,” it says, “there is cause to be grateful to the police, and t-o the special constables in support, who have stood between the public and disorder and destruction. Mr Cobbe warned the unemployed that they should, ‘in their own defence and lor their own best interests, drive out from their midst the evil eleme twhich are using them as tools and behind whom they endeavour to advance their own anti-social wrecking activities.’ That warning should be taken seriously ,by the whole community. It should strensrthen it to resist an impudent threat, and emp.hasi-se the obligation to support those who are upholding law and order.” All of which goes to -show that the community >p n police force of which it well may be proud. THE WORKERS' CHOICE.

The same authority referring to » ■report that ail attempt will be m do ],v the extreme elements associated with the relief workers’ .strike to pW'et the relief works, reminds its readers that what is called “peaceful persuashin'* nuy become a very ugly thi m*. “Orderly Government fails, it says, -when men are prevented f'oni goirg ..bout their lawful business by organis e.d suasion or force.' The unemployed should have complete freedom to make up their minds unmolested. No one tries to force them to work, and no one and no group should b e allowed .to prevent them working. Most of t!v ‘ unemployed recognise that- the eommrpi'iv lias made and. is making heavy sacrifices to keep thatn g« in fh ancl nothing is to be H»«*d by striking and a great deal may be lost, ft is regrettable that already many have suffered through absenting themselves from their jobs.” One still may hopthat better sense may prevail among the majority of the workers.