UNEMPLOYED RIOT

Hokitika Guardian, 21 October 1932, Page 5

UNEMPLOYED RIOT

LONDON DISORDERS DISCUSSED IN PARLIAMENT (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, October 19. In the House of Commons, moving the motion for the adjournment of the House, the Leader of th e Opposition, Mr Geo. Lansbury, drew attention to tihe unemployment disorders that have occurred in London and in tH e Province?. He said that these disorders Wave been very widespread. They hav e been due to the conditions laid down .for tlie treatment of the unemployed by th e late Government, and the present Government. The demonstrators, he said, had a right to advertise their conditions, and the police should provide facilities for there doing this peacefully. The mdans test, he added, should be revoked. Sir Gilmour, on behalf of the Government, in reply, said that Tuesday’s demonstration fa London had been oiganised by the unemployed workers’ movement, which mainly wa s a Communist organisation, whose campaign had been in progress since last July, when it started in Bristol. The police, he said had discharged their duties under great difficulty. They wer e lading ruthless brutality, Sir J. Gilmour stated in Pai’liament that more than forty people were arrested during trie disturbances in South London last night, following the demonstrations organised by la Communist 'body, the national unemployed workers’ movement, in support of a deputation to the London County Council. Despit e great provocation, the police behaved with admirable restraint. Several police officers and demonstrators were injured.

Sir Stafford Ci'ipps, K.C., 'and other Labour members also complained of the means test. The Prime Minister, Mr 'Ramsay MacDonald, promised to -nak e a statement of the Government’s intention regarding the means test. Meanwhile, he appealed to th 6 Members of the House not to find any excuses for the rioting or to make it easy for those who were not but to help the unemployed, but to kick up a row. Mr Maxton: “You hav e no right to say that!” Mr MacDonald ; “Nobody knows better than 'the honourable member, that ■wh).t I said is perfectly true.” The House then 'adjourned.