DRAGGED OUT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 290, 7 December 1932, Page 10

DRAGGED OUT.

INTRUDER IN HOUSE "ON BEHALF OF UNEMPLOYED" PROTESTING AND SHOUTING. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. A sensational incident occurred in the House last night when a young man, reputed to be a prominent Communist, attempted to address members from the public gallery. He resisted the efforts of an orderly and a constable to restrain 'him, and was. finally dragged from the j building and ejected into Lambton Quay, ' still protesting and shouting vigorously. The House was quietly discussing the short title of the Municipal Corporation Bill at 8.45 p.m., and Mr. F. Langstone ; (Labour, Waimarino) had just sat down when the man jumped to his feet. With one hand on the rail overlooking the Chamber, and the other, in which ne had his hat, waving vigorously, he shrieked out, "Mr. Speaker, I want to s»y something on behalf of the unemployed." By this time Mr. H. M. Campbell (Government, Hawke's Bay) had risen to address the House, and, without tak'-

j ing any notice of the interruption, tilt Cliairihaii of Committees. Mr. S. 3 Smith, called on Mr. Campbell to speak "The Christmas'adjournment is coming and.l want to know what you are golnj; to do for tlie unemployed," yelled tin man. "I am .fighting here for the rights of the people. How can any man live on 13/0 a week?" By this time he had been seized fro.'Ji behind by an orderly, but, with hihand iiinily clenching the rail, he refused to be led out. "This is what happens to a man when he wants the law," he cried, struggling to retain his grip on the rail. A constable, who is always on duty in the gallery, joinel in tlie tussle, but the combined efforts of'orderly and constable could not yet shift the man. "How can any man live on 13/6 :l week?" he cried. "He'll starve. He'll starve." The efforts of the two officers forced him to let go his grip on th.i ; rail, and he clutched wildly at a pillar. A heave by both officials got him on the move, but he fought every inch of the way as he was dragged up the gangway between the seats. Once at the 'top of the gallery, the weight- ol' the two officials began to tell, and h>3 was dragged out the door, yelling, "You can put your force on us, but we want the right to live." AI! the way through tlie passages litrepeated his cries, and made strenuouendcavours to ■ break uway, but the officers piloted him without delay through the main doors and out of the grounds on to La nib ton Quay. "Don't twist rny arm," he shrieked as the constable put a "come along" grip on him.

The incident lasted less than a minute, and it was over before most of the members realised where the commotion was occurring. Many members cannot seu the public gallery from their seats in the House, and it was not- until all the members of the Labour party, whoS'J seats face the gallery, were gazing at the incident that realisation came to the Government members. Well dressed and groomed, the man appeared to be about 30 years of ago. He has taken a prominent part in organising the unemployed demonstrations, and was one of those who addressed fhy mob which assembled outside Parliament Buildings on the night of May 10. before the riot. Three minutes after the incident i newcomer into the House would haw been unaware of anything out of the ordinary having happened.