COMMUNIST DEMANDS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 130, 25 January 1932, Page 2

COMMUNIST DEMANDS

WILD SPEECHES SINGULAR PATIENCE DISPLAYED BY MR. COATES. TALIC OF DIRECT ACTION.

Definite threats that the section of unemployed they led" would have tp ! resort to direct action to obtain food clothing and shelter were made by Communist speakers at the Second deputation received by the Minister ii Charge of UnemplDym,ent, Rt. Hou. J. G. Coates, and the 'Mini der of Health, Hon. J. A -.Young. The deputation included about *301' ; men, women and children, who marched to Parliament House carrying banners and wlio held a "preliminary. meeting outside the Bowefi Street . door. Whereas no police had been required to watch the previous deputation, a large number . of cons^ables. eontrolled the moyement of this ;gathering representing the" United Workers' Movemeiit which has brokph away from the General Labourers' Union. Speakers paid practieally no attention to the two Ministers, and ad~ dressed themselves to the large gathering in the social room, only >t times turning to the table tp threat'en direct action in the event of no satisfaction being Iiad. There was cpnstant uproar during the speeches and women as well as men interrupt .d the leaders of the deputation, whose words were drowned alternately by cheering, applause and jeering. Both the Ministers, however, were listen-j ed to attentively. Payment of the Levy. Mr. T. Kelly complained at the outset that relief workers had to pay the levy. Otherwise they would be given no work. "The unemployed to-day . cannot afford to pay," he declared. The Unemployment Act was passed to give sustenance and, when men were out of work, they should receive sustenance. The Government should carry out the full provisions of the Act in spite of the Prime Minister's declaration that there would be no pay without work. The hospital boards were unable to meet tlie position and the old system of ration orders for restaurants should be reinstated. It was not sufficient for the Government to say it had no money; no excuse would justify men going without food, and it was the duty of the Government to produce the money. There was uproar when the speaker declared: "We want to impress on you the seriousness of the position and that, as unemployed men, you cannot expect us to lie down quietly and take these things. If there is money to be got there is plenty of scope for the Government to get it. Instead of reducing the money of the relief workers, why not reduce the money of those getting over £500?" Navies and armies were being built at enormous cost, but the money would be better employed assisting the workless. Threatening Attitude. "The workers' conditions are abominable," said Mr. Turner. "I do not want to lead you down the street and break windows," he said, turning to the men and women in the room, "but if by dire neeessity you must eat, then you must . . ." The rest o£ the sentence was lost in a storm of cheering, and the speaker concluded by an ardent appeal to those present to force the Government into action Mr. Horsfull, secretary of the movement, announced that if nothing were done for the workless they would have to take it into their own hands and secure satisfaction . There was further prolonged applause when he added: "Mr. Coates is getting £1000 a year, and yet he has the cheek'to tell us to go out on relief work at 37s 6d. This brought an immediate protest from the Minister, who told the speaker in a quiet voice that he could gain nothing by such tactics. Mr. Horsfull concluded by announcing: "If the unemployed cannot get food they will have to take it.'" Fair Hearing. Given. Mr. Coates won ' an immediate silence by stating that he had always made it a practice to meet all classes of the community and endeavour to beeome acquainted with their corfiditions, and that if he were ready to meet them at any time they should at least give him as fair a hearing as he had given them. The problems of the unemployed were everyone's problems, and the whole question was how far they could utilise the country's resources to provide the fullest measure of return and at the same time provide relief for those in need. The statement had been made that people qould not get the necessaries of life. But the board had only so much money at its disposal, and the unemployed were roceiving every penny of it. The money received was clearly insuificient to meet all cases of hardship. There had been references lately to "slave camps" in criticism of single men's camps, but the question was whether it were possible to put everyone on to standard rates of pay. "I am bound to tell you with due respect to your opinion that it is not

possible to do it," Mr. Coates added. "I say that quite definitely, although the clairn has been made that it is possible." It was for the unemployed to co-operate in the plans made for their assistance. The amount being spent by the board was £50,000 a week, but if the full provisions of the Act were to be applied as far as sustenance payments were concerned it would require £85,000 a week. The unemployed could rest assured that everything possible would be done for them. Parliament would be meeting shortly, and unemployment relief would be gone into. In the meantime a plan for future action was being evolved, and it would be completed shortly. "Dang.erous Attitude." One of the speakers secured'an assurance that no one who had attended the meeting would be victimised. Mr. Coates said he did not agree with one or two suggestions about direct action, which was a very dangerous attitude to adopt. Apart from that he could not see that anything had been said to warrant victimisation. A large crowd was again addressed outside the building by speakers when the deputation concluded, and the Ministers spent some time in earnest conversation with rnany who remained. Those outside were counselled to force the Government to take action and to meet again to map out a campaign.